Austin Wells Reflects on Struggles at Bat
Austin Wells has recently admitted that his offensive performance hasn’t been great. “There aren’t many words to describe how bad I was,” he stated. “I need to work harder to lift the team’s spirits.”
The Yankees catcher, who was originally scheduled for a day off—common after a night game—came in as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning during Sunday’s series finale against the Mets. Unfortunately, his slump continued, culminating in a heartbreaking 7-6 walk-off loss at Citi Field.
During the game, Wells had two significant at-bats. One came in the seventh inning with two outs and the bases loaded, while the other was in the top of the 10th with runners on first and second and one out. Both opportunities came right after Anthony Volpe had walked to tie the game at 3-2.
In both scenarios, Wells missed on the first pitch, leading to a ground out, and the second pitch resulted in a double play, effectively ruining a chance for a comeback.
Reflecting on his approach against pitcher Sean Manaea, Wells remarked, “We knew early on he was a tough player, especially against left-handed hitters. I was looking for something in the zone to drive the ball, but somehow it ended up on the ground.” He added that he aimed to move the runners along and bring them in.
As it stands, Wells’ batting average is .173 with a .556 OPS over 36 games, but it’s been especially challenging lately—he’s hitting just 3-for-31 (.103) with three walks and a .291 OPS in his last ten at-bats.
When asked pre-game if he might consider giving Wells a break to reset, manager Aaron Boone was hesitant. “Let’s see,” he said, but he expressed confidence in Wells’ abilities. Boone voiced a clear belief in Wells’ potential, particularly when he’s on top of his game.
On the other hand, rookie pitcher Elmer Rodriguez, despite not finishing five innings yet in his career, showcased better command during his third major league start. He pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on five hits with one walk and one strikeout.
Rodriguez admitted, “I felt like we were more aggressive, attacking the zone better for improved results. We know we’ve got something good here; it’s just about competing.” He did walk four batters in his first two starts, but made it through this outing effectively as a fill-in pitcher.
With Max Fried going on the injured list, Rodriguez is set to make another spot start before Gerrit Cole is expected to return to the rotation.
Boone commented on Rodriguez’s performance, noting that he felt some left-handed hitters were starting to pick up on him but overall, he gave the team a solid chance to win. Regarding Cole, he mentioned that the “current plan” is for Cole to start rehabbing again, although things might shift as they navigate his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
“He seems to be in a good place,” Boone concluded. “For now, we have a plan in place, and we’ll go from there.”
In more upbeat news, Ben Rice hit his 15th home run of the season off Freddy Peralta during the third inning. Moreover, the Yankees have led the majors in walks for the sixth time this season.
