To say Austin Wells’ career has been a rollercoaster would be an understatement. In 2024, the former first-round pick finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year race. His 2.5 WAR was seventh among all American League catchers, and his 47 walks were fourth.
When the postseason arrived, the then-25-year-old seemed primed for a career-defining moment. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as Wells hit .120 with 22 strikeouts in 50 at-bats. It didn’t erase his regular-season efforts, but it certainly put a damper on them.
Austin Wells helped New York Yankees fans quickly forget about his dismal 2024 postseason. In his first at-bat of the 2025 season, Wells launched a solo home run over the right-field fence at Yankee Stadium. That long ball was the first of 21, the third-highest total in baseball. His defense also remained elite, as Wells’ fielding run value of 12 ranked in the 95th percentile.
In October, Wells delivered the biggest hit of the Yankees’ 2026 season. In Game Two of the team’s Wild Card matchup with the Boston Red Sox, Wells lined an RBI double to right in the bottom of the eighth inning. That hit scored Jazz Chisholm Jr., gave the Yankees a 4–3 lead, and pushed the series to three games.
Simply put, despite his inconsistencies at times, the future looked bright for the Yankees’ backstop.
Wells’ 2026 Campaign
Very few players performed worse than Wells to start the 2026 season. After collecting two total hits in June, Wells’ slash line sat at .155/.255/.238. He opened July with one hit in 14 at-bats, dropping those marks to .148/.243/.225.
With Wells becoming a non-factor in the lineup, it became increasingly likely that the Yankees would add a catcher at the trade deadline. Players like Ryan Jeffers and Adley Rutschman, among others, became linked to the Yankees more each day.
However, while seemingly every other contender in the AL upgraded the catching position, the Yankees stood pat. Outside of signing Mitch Garver to a minor-league contract, Brian Cashman effectively put all his faith in one of baseball’s worst offensive performers.
A Timely Turnaround
Since the trade deadline, Wells has been a different player, accumulating six hits in 17 at-bats. However, his recent play is more than a hot stretch, as Wells has hit .273 with an .862 OPS over the past 30 days. He’s also improved his plate discipline, striking out 10 times and walking six in that span.
Wells is currently in the middle of a four-game hitting streak and has reached base in seven of his past eight games. With the Yankees in a battle for the American League East crown, the veteran catcher will be counted upon down the stretch, especially with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Cody Bellinger still sidelined.
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