TAMPA — Reputations are hard to shake.
In spring training last season, Mets officials claimed that both internal data and visual inspections showed Francisco Alvarez to be a more than capable catcher. But a group of talent evaluators who began accumulating input from Rookie Ball in 2019 disagreed.
Alvarez at the time was not only a very good catcher in the major leagues, but he was better on that side of the ball than he was as a hitter, and that was his promotional tool.
Now, here we have Austin Wells, with a chance to join the Yankees’ roster along with the same bat-over-glove guy. Hey, there’s probably a 50-50 chance to split the catcher relationship with Jose Trevino — maybe even more so considering the impact his left-handed bat will have on stretching the lineup. But what still continues is the buzz outside Steinbrenner Field, with many evaluators wondering why the Yankees haven’t tried Wells at first base or even in the outfield or DH. .
Regarding prospects: 1) No organization knows prospects like his organization. 2) His organization is likely to hype the prospect because it’s good for trade business, or because emotional ties to homegrown players create bias, or simply because it’s accurate.
The Mets were accurate with Alvarez. And at Padres camp last week, Kyle Higashioka and Michael King, no longer Yankees, still praised Wells’ defense. Additionally, this is such an important year for the Yankees that they can’t just put him on the roster to justify their hype.
Although Wells only appeared in a one-month cameo last September, he outperformed the defense and took his first positive step forward in MLB. However, Ben Rotvedt did not have the option of being sent to the minors without going through waivers, so he made five starts after Wells’ promotion, making this the last five starts for Gerrit Cole. Cole told me that he was absolutely happy that Wells would catch him, and that Wells would catch him from time to time. Let’s take a look.
In Cole’s first season with the Yankees, he said the right thing about Gary Sanchez. Sanchez started the right-hander’s first eight games, then Higashioka became Cole’s exclusive catcher for more than a year until Trevino took the job in 2022, where he remained for nearly the entire season. . last year.
A call is a call. Demanding and precise. He is also a Cy Young Award winning ace. So getting him comfortable is essential for the Yankees season. But it goes beyond Cole. Trevino is such a good defender and pitcher that almost any pitcher would choose him if given the option. However, the Yankees believe in Wells’ bat and would like to have him in the lineup regularly.
“There’s a lot of great catchers here,” Wells said. “So, for me, it definitely drives me to try harder and compete more.”
Yankees catching coordinator Tanner Swanson said Wells has “a chip on his shoulder” but is motivated by hearing the criticism.
“Reputation precedes truth,” Swanson said. “But he was putting up good numbers defensively, so he was confident.” [in the minors] At every step. Therefore, there was no reason to believe that it could not be played at this level. So while his short time with us at the end of last year may have opened a lot of eyes on the outside, there’s a lot of confidence inside that he’s going to do exactly what he did and more. was doing. ”
Wells, the 28th overall pick in 2020, had a bat-first profile. But Swanson called Wells a “great success story in player development” and “a product of Austin’s desire to get better.” His weak point was thought to be his arm, but despite stealing 17 of his 20 bases late last season, Wells’ intense training, especially with a weighted ball, improved his pitching speed last year. increased to 80.6 miles (MLB average is 79.4 miles). . The Yanks and Wells think he might still have some room in his arm. His exchange (glove-to-hand) and pop time to second were both above MLB average, according to both the Yankees’ internal data and metrics published on Baseball Savant.
If anything, blocking pitches is where the Yankees would like to see more progress from Wells. However, he felt that working well with pitch framing, which the Yankees are obsessed with (like most organizations), and aggressively changing the count would impact the daily game – Higashioka and Trevino. was excellent at that. And Aaron Boone praised Wells for having the demeanor and game-calling acumen of a strong catcher. He used the term “strong presentation.”
Coach Boone said he had been keeping an eye on the outside representative late last season because he was aware of him, but was pleased with the way Wells handled himself. I don’t notice it at all,” he said.
“I think I’m good at the little things that help control the pitcher’s staff by giving them what they need, whether it’s slowing them down or encouraging them.” “That’s my best attribute, the little things at catcher,” Wells said. “And all the hard work I put in over the past 3 ¹/₂ years has made me a better catcher.”
The best outcome for the Yankees would be that neither the Yankees nor Wells would feel the need to protect him — his defense would speak for itself.
