If Brian Cashman had acted the way many anticipated at the trade deadline, Austin Wells wouldn’t have been at bat in the second inning.
Facing left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle, one might think this was an opportunity for a righty-hitting catcher. Ryan Jeffers, perhaps, who had been the subject of trade rumors—one could say he was practically apartment hunting in New York with all the chatter.
Or maybe there was Adley Rutschman, a switch-hitter and another frequent Yankees target, but he found himself behind the plate for the Orioles because the Red Sox swooped in with a better trade offer.
However, Cashman didn’t pull the trigger on acquiring another catcher, or even a backup, which essentially solidified Wells’ position as the starter despite his struggles earlier in the year. This decision, or non-decision, paid off when Wells came through in that second inning with the only run the Yankees would end up needing.
The starting catcher for the Yankees, Wells, really began to turn things around during their impressive 9-0 victory against Boston at Yankee Stadium, putting them just one win from an ALDS matchup with the Rays.
Before the Yankees pulled ahead significantly, their offense had shown initial promise but was still pretty shaky. Leading up to Wells’ at-bat, they had gone 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position, almost squandering another chance. George Lombard Jr. got the inning started with a single, advanced to second on a hit by Anthony Volpe, yet Spencer Jones fouled out, leaving two outs.
Then came Wells—who had a rough season hitting .122 with a .436 OPS against lefties—yet he managed to connect and drive a single through the infield’s right side. Upon reaching first, he visibly erupted with excitement, having given the Yankees a lead that they would subsequently build on.
Wells added another single off a lefty, Alec Gamboa, in the seventh inning, and a sacrifice fly in the eighth against Brayan Bello—marking two hits against southpaws in the postseason, which is rather impressive for someone who had only managed 11 hits (from 99 plate appearances) against similar pitchers all season.
His struggles against all types of pitching throughout mid-July had prompted the Yankees to explore trade options. By July 19, he was hitting just .152 with a .501 OPS. Despite the team valuing his connection with pitchers and his defensive skills, he was nearly out of the lineup.
Yet, Wells continued to play and demonstrated enough improvement in late July and early August that Cashman opted against overpaying for a catcher. Curiously enough, even when catchers usually start to tire in August and September, Wells delivered two of his best months of the year.
And even though the calendar said September 29, he showed everyone why October might just mark a turning point in his rejuvenated season.
