Selected by the Twins in the second round (56th overall) of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft...Attended Verona Area (Wis.) High School… earned Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association All-State First-Team honors as a junior after batting .437 with 10 2B, two 3B, five HR and 29 RBI… also played football for Verona as a running back, linebacker, kicker and punter...Ben grew up within 30 miles of the original Culver’s location in Sauk City, Wisconsin…in high school, he enjoyed a ritual of stopping by his local Culver’s for a butterburger and cheese curds after baseball games... He didn’t join his first travel baseball team until age 16, instead focusing on his roles as a soccer player and football kicker/punter...Ben overcame three knee surgeries and an aneurysm in his shoulder during his journey to becoming a big-league regular…during Spring Training in 2023, he underwent surgery after doctors found he had experienced an aneurysm in the posterior artery near his left shoulder… he realized something was wrong after noticing discoloration in his left index finger—had the issue not been identified in time, amputation might have been the only option…during his recovery from the surgery, he adopted a cat, Sully, whose face now adorns one of his custom gloves...He was nicknamed “Benny Biceps” early in his career…his father, Eric, encouraged Ben to begin lifting weights in middle school…today, he does most of his heavy lifting during the offseason, but enters “maintenance mode” to prevent injuries during the season...Ben made his first career pitching appearance last April, tossing a pair of innings against San Francisco…he tallied his first career strikeout against Tyler Fitzgerald and kept the ball to display in his living room…during the appearance, he recalls glancing at the radar gun after every fastball to see how hard he could throw…it was his first time pitching since Little League...Ben celebrated the birth of his son, Brooks Taylor, last August.
2024
Hit .228/.317/.303 (66-for-290) with 13 2B, three HR, 31 RBI and 34 walks after making his first career Opening Day roster…served as the Rays primary catcher, appearing in 112 games (87 starts)…was on the paternity list/family emergency list from Aug. 19-24 for the birth of his son...Min. 300 PA, his .317 on-base pct. ranked eighth among AL primary catchers...Rated the 17th-best pitch framer among qualified Major League catchers by Statcast...Hit .378/.472/.444 (17-for-45) with three 2B and seven RBI across his first 17 games through April 27, pacing all major league catchers (min. 50PA) in average and on-base pct. during that span…hit .200/.287/.278 (49-for-245) over the remainder of the season (95G)...On March 29 vs. TOR, became the seventh catcher with multiple hits in their Rays debut (last: René Pinto, 2H on April 26, 2022 vs. SEA), recording a pair of singles and a walk...Reached base safely in a career-best 10 straight games from April 3-20…hit safely in a career-high five straight games from April 3-10…later matched the streak from June 19-25...On April 13 vs. SF, pitched in a professional game for the first time (2.0IP, 3H, ER, 2BB, SO)…On April 27 at CWS, reached base safely five times (3-for-3, 2BB)…became the sixth Rays catcher (8x) to do so, including the first since Travis d’Arnaud on July 15, 2019 at NYY...From May 5-12, drew a walk in five straight games, a franchise record for a catcher...Went 15-for-48 (.313) with all three of his home runs and 14 of 31 RBI in June…his .949 OPS in June was the highest mark in any calendar month of his career (min. 40PA) and ranked third among AL catchers behind LAA Logan O’Hoppe (.971) and HOU Yanier Diaz (.951)...On June 16 at ATL, hit his first career grand slam, the first by a Rays backstop since Francisco Mejía on May 21, 2021 at TOR...Recorded an RBI in a career-best four straight games from June 21-25, the longest streak by a Rays catcher since Mike Zunino (5G) from Aug. 11-17, 2021…went 7-for-15 (.467) with nine RBI during the run, which included his first career multi-extra-base-hit effort on June 21 at PIT (3-for-5, 2B, HR, 3RBI) and a season-high-tying four RBI on June 25 vs. SEA (2-for-3, HR, 4RBI, BB)...On Aug. 8 at STL, collected a season-high-tying (3x) three hits in a 6-4 victory…did not record a multi-hit game for the remainder of the season, going 10-for-77 (.130) across his final 31 appearances.
2023
Appeared in 32 games for the Yankees over two stints (5/18-30 and 7/21-10/1), batting .118 (8-for-68) with 6R, 1 double, 2HR, 4RBI and 11BB...Posted a 2.84 catcher’s ERA…recorded a 2.25 catcher’s ERA in 13 games with Gerrit Cole on the mound...Did not appear in a Spring Training game after suffering from an aneurysm of the posterior artery near his left shoulder…underwent left circumflex humeral aneurysm surgery on 2/22…the procedure was performed by Dr. Gregory Pearl at Texas Vascular Associates...Began the season on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 3/27) recovering from left shoulder aneurysm surgery…played in four rehab games with Single-A Tampa (3G) and Double-A Somerset (1G), batting .333 (4-for-12) with three runs, three doubles, one RBI, one BB and two HP…was returned from his rehab assignment, reinstated from the 10-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on 5/11...Was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on 5/18…made his Yankees debut on 5/20 at Cincinnati, going 2-for-4 with 2R and 1 double…marked his first Major League game since 9/19/21 at Toronto with Minnesota...Appeared in five games with the Yankees from 5/20-26 before being optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on 5/30...Was recalled on 7/21 and remained at the Major League level for the remainder of the season...Hit his first home run of the year and first with the Yankees with a solo HR in the sixth inning on 8/13 at Miami (1-for-4, 1R, 1HR, 1RBI)…marked his first HR since 9/19/21 at Toronto with Minnesota...Collected both of the Yankees’ hits and reached base a career-high three times on 8/22 vs. Washington…hit a game-tying solo HR in the third inning, walked in the fifth and singled in the seventh...In 29 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hit .286/.395/.505 (30-for-105) with 19R, 5 doubles, 6HR, 22RBI, 16BB and 2SB.
2022
Combined with Single-A Tampa, High-A Hudson Valley and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to hit .218 (37-for-170) with 25R, nine doubles, seven HR, 21 RBI and 22 BB in 48 games…combined to throw out 7-of-33 (21.2%) attempted base stealers...Was acquired by the Yankees from the Minnesota Twins along with INF Josh Donaldson and INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa in exchange for C Gary Sánchez and INF Gio Urshela on 3/13...Began the season on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique muscle strain...Played in two rehab games with Single-A Tampa from 5/7-8 before being returned from rehab on 5/13...Underwent arthroscopic surgery (a partial meniscectomy or “meniscus clean-up”) on his left knee on 5/17…the surgery was performed by Yankees Head Team Physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital…was transferred to the 60-day injured list on 5/22...Made a rehab appearance with High-A Hudson Valley and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before being reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on 8/2...In 42 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (including rehab), hit .221 (34-for-154) with 21R, nine doubles, six HR, 20 RBI and 18 BB...Was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on 9/9…did not appear in a game before being optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following the game on 9/11...Following the season, played for the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League, batting .114 (4- for-35) with 2R, one double, 2RBI, 6BB and 1SB in 12 games.
2021
Saw his first Major League action, batting .169 (15-for-89) with 8R, 1 double, 3HR, 7RBI and 6BB in 39 games over four stints (4/30-5/21, 5/30-7/19, 7/22-25, 8/29-9/20) with the Twins…threw out 7-of-18 (38.9%) attempted base stealers...Made his Major League debut on 4/30 vs. Kansas City, going 1-for-3 with 1R, 1RBI and 1BB…walked in his first career plate appearance…collected an RBI single in the eighth inning off Wade Davis for his first career hit and RBI....Hit his first Major League homer on 5/30 vs. Kansas City, a solo shot off Brad Keller (1-for-3, 1R, 1HR, 1RBI)… homered the previous night for Triple-A St. Paul, becoming the first player in Twins/Saints history to hit his first career Triple-A homer and first Major League homer on consecutive days...Hit a game-tying solo HR in the ninth inning on 7/11 vs. Detroit (1-for-3, 1R, 1HR, 1RBI, 1BB), forcing extra innings and eventually leading to a 12-9 win by Minnesota in 10 innings...Recorded his first career multi-hit game (2H) on 9/11 vs. Kansas City...Batted .254 (31-for-122) with 18R, 6 doubles, 5HR, 22RBI and 10BB in 34 games with Triple-A St. Paul....Following the season, was tabbed by Baseball America as the “Best Defensive Catcher” among Twins farmhands.
2020
Was an invite to Twins spring training for second consecutive season...was left off the Twins' 60-man Player Pool at St. Paul, MN...Participated in Twins Fall Instructional League during October in Ft. Myers, FL...Added to Twins 40-man roster November 20. A Ranked Twins 26th best prospect by MLB.com.
2019
Was invite to Twins spring training, first of career; reassigned to minor league camp March 8 and began season with Single-A Ft. Myers...tied career-high with four hits April 14 with the Miracle, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, one home run and three RBI...promoted to Double-A Pensacola May 14...placed on 7-day Injured List on Aug. 12 with a left knee injury, ending his season...combined to hit .238 (66-for-277) with 16 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 29 RBI, 32 runs scored and 35 walks in 79 games between Ft. Myers and Pensacola...hit .249 (55-for-221) with 23 extra-base hits vs. right-handed pitching and .196 (11-for-56) with one extra-base hit vs. left-handed pitching...played four games with Salt River in the Arizona Fall League, going 1-for-9...named best defensive catcher in Twins minor league system by Baseball America following season.
2018
Began the season with Single-A Cedar Rapids...went 4-for-4 in third game of season (season-high hits), including two doubles April 9 at Peoria...hit .306 (26-for-85) with four doubles, two triples, one home run and 11 RBI in 23 May games for the Kernels...named Twins minor league Player of the Week May 26, hitting .370 (10-for-27) with one triple, two RBI and a stolen base in seven games for the Kernels...promoted to Single-A Ft. Myers June 8...recorded first professional two homer game June 22 at Bradenton, both two-run shots...hit first professional grand slam and recorded a career-high six RBI August 29 vs. Bradenton...combined to hit .262 (83-for-317) with 16 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 43 RBI, 34 runs scored and a .331 on-base percentage in 90 games at both levels combined.
2017
Spent entire season with Single-A Cedar Rapids...hit first professional home run, a two-run shot June 18 vs. Clinton...led the Kernels in games caught (86)...caught 30 of 85 potential base stealers (36%)...ranked sixth on the Kernels in overall games played (89), and hits (69).
2016
Began professional career with GCL Twins...played in 20 games before being promoted to Rookie-Elizabethton July 28...combined to hit .222 (22-for-99) with three doubles, 10 RBI, 10 walks and a .306 on-base percentage at both levels combined.
