Even before Jose Trevino was sidelined with a quad strain that will likely keep him out for several weeks (though manager Aaron Boone said Friday that the catcher’s recovery was going better than expected), Austin Wells was beginning to look like the type of play the Yankees expected when they selected Wells in the first round of the 2020 draft.
He recovered from his bad first few weeks, but his hitting numbers were still poor in early June.
Since then, Wells has been one of the few bright spots in the Yankees’ lineup, and with Trevino on the disabled list and only inexperienced rookie Carlos Narvaez behind him, the Yankees will be hoping that continues.
“It’s just a progression,” Wells said. “There’s going to be times when you’re not doing well and times when you’re doing well. For me, it’s just trying to limit the bad and enhance the good.”
The increased playing time has helped.
“The more times I’m at bat, the better I feel,” Wells said. “The more major league teams and pitchers I watch, the more I feel comfortable at the plate.”
He said he had the same mindset when he was in a slump earlier this year, when he had a .347 OPS through his first 14 games and a .578 OPS as of June 6.
Since that day, Wells has an .881 OPS and a .779 OPS in his past 47 games dating back to April.
“I wasn’t worried at all at the beginning,” Wells said. “Baseball is a sport where you have a lot of ups and downs. I had a big slump at the beginning of the year, but I thought I did a pretty good job of bouncing back and batting every at-bat. It was awful and I didn’t want to start like that, but I was never worried about my ability or the flow of the game.”
Wells hasn’t had great batting performance against changeups and four-seam fastballs this year, but he said, “I definitely feel like there’s room for growth. I know I can do more. It’s just a matter of time before I get better.”
Wells’ advanced metrics as a catcher are largely solid.
The Yankees have also been impressed with his framing skills, which while not at Trevino’s level, are getting close.
And he’s hoping for a speedy return for Trevino.
“He’s an important part of our team and we want him back as soon as possible,” Wells said. “He’s helped our pitching staff a lot this year and it’s been great working with him. Obviously, we’re looking forward to playing more, but we’re excited to have him back.”
