New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells will head to the bench on Tuesday in the opener of the Subway Series against the visiting New York Mets with veteran left-hander Jose Quintana on the mound. Carlos Narvaez will do the catching for right-handed rookie Luis Gil and will bat eighth against Quintana. The 25-year-old Wells hits from the left side and had also started each of the team's last six games, so it's a perfect time to give him a break. The former first-rounder in 2020 out of Arizona has been a bit better so far in the month of July and recorded three hits, including his seventh round-tripper of the year, in Monday's victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Wells has gone 6-for-23 (.261) against southpaws this year, but all seven of his homers have come against right-handed pitching. Narvaez will be making his first career start in the Bronx on Tuesday.
Austin Wells Stays Productive With Homer, Three Hits
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells collected three hits in Monday afternoon's win over the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays in the Bronx, blasting his seventh home run of the season in the blowout victory. Wells lined a solo homer off Rays right-hander Zack Littell to right field on Monday, giving the Yankees an early 1-0 lead in the second inning. The 25-year-old lefty-hitting backstop is worth a look for those in two-catcher and AL-only fantasy leagues while primary catcher Jose Trevino (quadriceps) sits on the injured list for the Yankees, batting a solid .277 (13-for-47) with five long balls, 10 RBI, and 10 runs scored in his last 17 games.
There has been no talk at spring training of New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells working out at other positions, according to manager Aaron Boone. "Right now, I just want him to focus on our staff," Boone said. After trading away Kyle Higashioka in the Juan Soto trade in the offseason, the Yanks now have two primary catching options for 2024 -- Wells and Jose Trevino. Wells has the more potent bat, but Trevino is more advanced defensively. Wells, 24, had four homers in 70 at-bats in just 19 games in his big-league debut last year. There's plenty of power intrigue with the left-handed hitter, but because he and Trevino will likely end up splitting playing time more evenly, Wells probably won't become a realistic option in two-catcher fantasy leagues in 2024 unless Trevino misses time due to an injury.
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells is getting the call to the big league roster on Friday. The 24-year-old is regarded as one of the top catching prospects in baseball. This season, Wells is slashing .243/.335/.447 with 17 home runs and seven steals through 95 games in the minors. The expectation is that Wells is going to be the Yankees' catcher of the future. He should get regular at-bats down the stretch of the season in New York. He has a chance to be relevant right away in fantasy leagues. Wells should at least be worth a look in deeper mixed leagues and AL-only formats.
New York Yankees prospect Austin Wells went yard twice on Sunday, perhaps signaling a shift in momentum. The 24-year-old struggled at the plate following his promotion to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre in July, but a recent surge has improved his slash line to a .260/.351/.479 mark. Wells has hit safely in eight of his last 10 appearances, homering four times over the last five games. Offensive production is vital for Wells, considering his defensive ability at catcher is average at best. He's the eighth-ranked prospect in the Yankees farm system, standing out with 55-grade power alongside a demonstrated ability to hit for average and draw walks. With the Yankees' playoff hopes slipping away and little depth at the catcher position, Wells could see a promotion very soon.
Austin Wells Continues Hitting Struggles In Triple-A
New York Yankees catching prospect Austin Wells continued his recent hitting struggles with an 0-for-5 showing for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He has been ice-cold since the All-Star break, slashing .190/.279/.224 with a 30.9% strikeout rate in 15 games since July 15. Despite this, New York promoted him from Double-A on July 20; he is slashing .235/.325/.294 through nine Triple-A games. Ben Rortvedt and Kyle Higashioka are both struggling offensively in the majors, but Wells isn't likely to displace them over the coming weeks with his recent offensive performance. Despite his struggles, the 2020 first-round pick is still a premier catching prospect in dynasty and keeper leagues.
New York Yankees catching prospect Austin Wells (ribs), who sustained a bone bruise in his right rib cage in mid-February, was sent for another MRI Tuesday after he felt some discomfort while receiving treatment. Manager Aaron Boone said the 23-year-old is "not doing much yet," as the club awaits the results of his latest MRI. Wells reached Double-A Somerset in 2022, where he slashed .261/.360/.479 with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, and seven stolen bases in 247 plate appearances. He is a name to remember in dynasty leagues, but it remains to be seen if he will be healthy enough to participate in spring training, let alone join the Yankees during the regular season.
New York Yankees catching prospect Austin Wells, the team's first-round pick (28th overall) in 2020, has shown plenty of improvement behind the plate. The Yankees No. 6 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, might not be a catcher long term, but the team says they are committed to offering him more time behind the plate. "The improvements that he's made as a catcher were fantastic," said Kevin Reese, the Yanks vice president of player development. "His arm strength got much better; his receiving got much better. We consider him to be a catcher." The 22-year-old could begin the season at Double-A after hitting a combined .264/.390/.476 with 23 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs and 76 RBI at Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley in 2021. Wells also had a 1.034 OPS in 18 Arizona Fall League games last year, so he's a name to watch in dynasty/keeper leagues.
New York Yankees catching prospect Austin Wells could see time at other positions moving forward, according to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. The Yankees selected Wells in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft and he has shown a ton of promise early in his career. The young catcher has shown so much promise that the Yankees will look to keep his bat in the lineup at the minor league level in any way they can as he has especially shown a ton of power from the left side of the plate, which obviously plays well at Yankee Stadium. In 2021, across 382 minor league at-bats, Wells hit .264 with 16 home runs, 72 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. Fantasy managers in dynasty leagues should certainly be monitoring him throughout this season.
