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Austin Wells was an outfielder when he first started playing baseball as a child. he hated it
With little action far from the plate, he spent his days picking grass, daydreaming, and paying attention to the game. , wanted his son to be immersed in the game he loved, and thought that having him play a position that required 100 percent involvement would change his feelings about the sport. So Greg bought some catcher’s gear and stuck his son behind the plate, which Austin loved.
MLB Pipeline currently rates Wells as the Yankees’ fourth prospect and best catcher in the farm system, but will he stick to the position that became his identity when he reached the major leagues? There is a big question from the outside as to whether. athleticwrote of Wells that he “won’t get caught at all” and that “amateur scouts almost unanimously agreed that he wasn’t going to remain a catcher.” According to another report, “Scouts outside the organization believe he will be a long-term catcher.” another evaluator says“I like Austin Wells’ bat. He can’t be caught.”
“It was basically like that, even before I was drafted,” Wells said of his skepticism. I feel like my goal is to keep proving that I can, not necessarily what other people say, but because I want to be a catcher for the New York Yankees.I want to be an All-Star catcher.I just want to be famous for not hitting. I want to do both, and the more I’m told I can’t, it definitely makes me work harder and be in a better place every day.”
Wells said the Yankees only discussed his future at bat. No conversation has taken place regarding a possible position change. He appeared in 135 games as a catcher and 27 games as a designated hitter in the draft. Wells is fond of catching, but if a future position change means helping the Yankees win the World Series, he’s all for it, and said it doesn’t matter.
Wells has had promising results in the minors this season. His defensive metrics from 2021 to 2022, his first season with the Yankees organization, have shown improvement behind the plate, with Wells’ stolen base percentage rising from 13% in 2021 to his In 2022 he jumped to 25%. His Passing His ball has dropped from 16 to 4 this season. His above-average framing his run for 2022 saw him go from 2.6 to 9.4. Wells believes that Yankees minors have grown up working with both his league defensive coordinator Aaron Garshenfeld and defensive coach Aaron He Bossi. he improves his release. The positive indicators only strengthened Welles’ desire to prove to everyone that he belonged behind the plate.
“Being a catcher is a top priority because I love the positional grind,” Wells said. “Being beaten and coming back the next day and going out like nothing happened the night before — I love it and it drives me to play a baseball game.
“Without a doubt, my number one priority in the game is to be a catcher.”
Less than 48 hours after the Yankees picked Wells out of Arizona with the 28th pick in the 2020 draft, he was on a video call with Gershenfeld to share as much detail as possible about how he could become a more complete player. I wanted to know. His bat has never been an issue. He finished his 2022 with his 20 homers, his OPS of .897, and in the minors he has never fallen below 129 wRC+. The Major League wRC+ average for all catchers in 2022 was 89. His 16.6% pursuit percentage would have ranked him second in the majors this season, behind Max his Muncie.
Future MLB will likely introduce automatic strike zones and de-emphasize framing. Jose Trevino and Kyle Higashioka’s value to the Yankees has a lot to do with how well they structure their pitches. This makes it important for catchers to throw runners at a high rate. With what Wells has shown in his 2022 with high-A and double-A, the Yankees are encouraged by his progress and believe he’s ready to catch when his time comes.
“He’s been performing above average in terms of receiving, and he’s also made significant improvements as a pitcher. We’re looking at it holistically,” Gershenfeld said.
“What I have seen so far from Austin as a catcher has been really encouraging. He’s been very clear about what he wants to be, and we’ve gone out of his way to help him become the best catcher.”
The Yankees have yet to tell Wells where to report for the 2023 season. There is a possibility. The Yankees need more left-handed hitting, even if they have to play in different positions like first base and left field, and Wells provides it. In college, Wells played first base and every outfielder, so it’s nothing new to him.
Shortly after the Yankees drafted Wells, the social media team edited and sent him a video of himself hitting a home run on the short porch of Yankee Stadium while the crowd went wild. Since then, he has imagined what it would be like if he had the chance to experience the real thing. But the first time he wears pinstripes, he also wants to wear a catcher’s helmet and chest protector.
“I want to build on the last two seasons and show people that I am a catcher and that I have no plans to change that or move elsewhere,” Wells said. I’m going to stay, and I have a chance to cement myself in that place going into this year, and I’m looking forward to doing that.”
(Photos and video courtesy of Somerset Patriots)
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