Austin Wells is Ready to Hit Homers at Yankee Stadium, No Matter Where He's Playing on Defense

When Austin Wells was selected in the 35th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Yankees, he had a difficult decision to make.

The Bishop Gorman HS standout could either honor his commitment to the University of Arizona or take that next step closer to the Major Leagues and sign with New York.

Wells elected to play collegiate ball and two years later, his name was called once again on Draft day by the same organization.

"It was one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt in my life," Wells said on a conference call with reporters Thursday afternoon. "Pure joy and excitement that came with the whole day really. All the way up to hearing my name called by the Yankees. I think it was just an amazing feeling and an amazing opportunity as well."

So, how does this 20-year-old slugger feel in retrospect about the verdict to play ball at Arizona? He called it "the best decision [he] could ever have made."

"I grew as a player, grew as a leader, grew as a person off the field," he explained, gushing about his time in Tucson. "I got bigger, stronger, faster, developed into the player I am now because I went to Arizona."

READ: Yanks take Wells with No. 28 overall pick

After being selected 1,057th overall in '18, Wells was off the board with the Yankees' pick at No. 28 on Wednesday night. Ranked 27th among the top prospects of this year's class by MLB Pipeline, Wells showcased his talent and potential on both sides of the ball in two campaigns at Arizona. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound backstop hit .357/.476/.560 (99-for-277) with 85 runs, seven home runs and 74 RBI across 71 games over two seasons at the University of Arizona.

"We were excited to get Wells," Yankees' Vice President of Domestic Amateur Scouting Damon Oppenheimer said on Friday, looking back at New York's 2020 Draft class. "We think he can be an impactful guy, especially in our stadium. He's a mentally strong kid, so I think the weight of the pinstripes aren't gonna really affect him."

The 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year was at his best this spring in a coronavirus-shortened season. Through 15 games, Wells was hitting .375 to go along with 12 runs, 17 walks and a 1.116 OPS.

Last night, Austin Wells became the 12th first round pick in @ArizonaBaseball history ⚾#BearDown | #MLBTrainingGround pic.twitter.com/jsR0Oaa0WB
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) June 11, 2020

There's no question Wells can rake at the plate, but what about his abilities behind it?

Scouting reports have alluded to concerns regarding Wells' ability to stick behind the plate as he enters the Minor Leagues. His game was stacked up with Cubs' slugger Kyle Schwarber who also caught in college, but eventually transitioned to a full-time role in the outfield.

READ: Austin Wells drawing comparisons to Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper

To Wells, catcher is where he wants to be, but he's eager to help the Yankees win in any way possible and open to playing other positions.

"I’m a catcher, I want to be a catcher," Wells confirmed. "I know I’m definitely willing to do whatever it takes to get to the big leagues so if that’s at another position, then I’ll just hit home runs at Yankee Stadium and play wherever they need me to."

Oppenheimer believes with the Yankees' top-notch coaching staff, Wells can take his experience from catching in college and sculpt it into an elite part of his game at the next level.

"Nothing against the guys that coached him [at Arizona], but you know we've got guys that are much better at it," Oppenheimer explained. "They're gonna help him move on with the catching, really I think in a quick rate."

Improving on his defense has been one of this prospect's main focuses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mix that in with running and lifting to stay in shape, as well as reps in the cage, Wells has stayed "sane" by staying ready.

As for what's next, Wells – who plans to be represented by agent Scott Boras – is eager for what's to come. He may have grown up a Red Sox fan, but hearing his name called last night immediately changed his mind.

When asked if he intends to sign quickly and officially join the Yankees organization, he didn't hesitate.

"Absolutely, I'm ready to get going."

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For more from Max Goodman, follow him on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. Follow ITP on Twitter @SI_Yankees and Facebook @SIYankees

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