Yankees Create Franchise History With Leadoff Hitter Selection

The New York Yankees are about to make franchise history by going with this player as their leadoff hitter.

Feb 13, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) participates in spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees are ready to put this spring in their rearview.

And not for the reasons many expected coming in with a revamped roster that looked better on paper than the one they had last year when they reached the World Series for the first time since 2009.

Instead of spring training getting this group ready for the season and showcasing the ability of this new group, it turned into a nightmare with key player after key player going down with injury.

Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu and some bullpen arms will start the year on the injured list, forcing Yankees manager Aaron Boone to scramble when it comes to putting together his Opening Day roster.

One aspect New York had to figure out was their leadoff hitter situation.

With Alex Verdugo and Gleyber Torres no longer on the team, someone new was going to slide into the first spot.

Now, Boone has officially revealed who will be their No. 1 hitter.

Aaron Boone says that Austin Wells will be the Yankees leadoff hitter on Opening Day pic.twitter.com/GrAbvx2Pyv

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 25, 2025

It seemed like this was going to be the route the Yankees took.

Wells has been the leadoff guy throughout the spring, and based on the type of production he's had with a .372/.426/.837 slash line, six homers and 12 RBI across 15 games and 43 at-bats, it looks like this is a spot he can thrive in.

But, the selection of the rising star isn't just notable; it's historic.

Per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, this is the first time any catcher in the history of this franchise will bat leadoff for the team in a regular season game.

From Yogi Berra to Jorge Posada to Thurman Munson to Bill Dickey, none of the legendary backstops have ever done what Wells is about to do when Opening Day arrives.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

But after a third place finish in the American League Rookie of the Year voting last season, Wells is set to carve out a legacy for himself in New York, making history already in Game 1.