Austin Wells Is Staring at an Unclear Future After Yankees' Early Draft Moves

It's been a busy weekend for Yankees fans as this year's MLB All-Star Break arrives. Not only have the Bronx Bombers been dealing with the Nationals before entering a much-needed break, but the 2026 MLB Draft has also been on the forefront of some fans' minds, beginning when the Yankees used the 35th overall selection to select left-handed pitcher Hunter Dietz out of Arkansas.

While more pitching depth is always a good thing (especially if New York is planning to trade any prospect arms before the trade deadline), it isn't the only position that needs some love. Austin Wells's season-long slump has left Yankees fans hoping to see the catcher position among general manager Brian Cashman's priorities this weekend, and he didn't disappoint early in the event.

As such, Wells should be worried that the Yankees don't view him as a long-term catching option anymore.

Yankees draft 2 catchers in first 5 picks, putting pressure on Austin Wells

After going with back-to-back lefties (Vanderbilt commit Sean Duncan at No. 62), the Yankees addressed their situation behind home plate by drafting Brendan Brock out of Oklahoma.

The 21-year-old third-rounder is coming off a tremendous debut season with the Razorbacks that saw him slash .302/.399/.522 with 13 home runs, 55 RBIs and 35 walks across 245 at-bats. Brock—who stands 6'3" and weighs 200 lbs—definitely has impressive power; however, he also knows how to move his feet, having stolen 28 bases on 32 opportunities (87.5%) last season. He's still a work in progress, but the potential is there.

The icing on the cake is the fact that Brock is a right-handed batter, which is something the Yankees sorely lack when it comes to their catching situation.

The Yankees have selected catcher Brendan Brock, who hit 13 HRs last season with a .302 AVG in 65 games for Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/DRVcVHaHuO
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) July 11, 2026

After a fourth-rounder was used on CSU Fullerton outfielder Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II, the Yankees turned their attention back to catcher in Round 5, selecting Texas A&M's Bear Harrison at No. 160. Harrison has a bit more experience than Brock, as the 21-year-old prospect played a year at St. Mary's (CA) and Falmouth in 2024 and 2025, respectively, before taking his game to new heights with the Aggies.

Suiting up in 53 games, Harrison—also a righty—tallied career-high marks in HRs (12), walks (41), on-base percentage (.495), slugging percentage (.626) and OPS (1.121), even stealing three bases. His speed isn't exactly elite, but his ability to draw walks combined with reliable defense certainly makes Harrison a prospect worth developing.

The New York Yankees have selected catcher Bear Harrison with their fifth round pick.

Harrison hit 12 home runs with a 497 OBP last season. pic.twitter.com/lSQn8dSZaC
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) July 12, 2026

Brock and Harrison aren't even close to being MLB-ready, so it isn't as if they're ready to replace Wells tomorrow. At the same time, the Yankees' use of two of their top-five picks on catcher prospects says a lot about how they view the 27-year-old's outlook.

Entering Sunday's finale, Wells was slashing a putrid .151/.244/.255 with six home runs, 12 RBIs, 24 walks and a minus-0.2 WAR in 65 games (192 at-bats). His performance is a far cry from his .712 OPS, 21 HRs and 71 RBIs last season, making it seem like a one-off. It'd be one thing if Wells were showing signs of a turnaround, but 16 hitless appearances in 21 games since the start of June suggest his struggles aren't ending anytime soon.

Beginning of the end for Austin Wells in New York?

Wells isn't a free agent until 2030, sure, but he's also just three years away from turning 30, meaning his best days might already be behind him. The Yankees might already be at that realization, given their early draft moves, and it wouldn't be surprising if Cashman & Co. had more current plans to upgrade their catcher situation, too.

After all, the trade deadline is three weeks away from Monday, and the Yankees have already been linked to top catcher targets, such as the Orioles' Adley Rutschman, Rockies' Hunter Goodman and Twins' Ryan Jeffers. Any of those names would easily be an upgrade over Wells, J.C. Escarra and Ali Sánchez, especially if hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy is Boone & Co.'s goal.

Trading for one of those star catchers would certainly offer Brock and Harrison more time to develop. Although Jeffers will be a free agent this winter, Rutschman won't hit the open market until 2028, while Goodman is under team control until 2030. By then, one of the Yankees' new catching prospects could be ready for a big-league opportunity.

In the meantime, it'll be interesting to see if Wells can do anything to alter his eventual fate. The Yankees will need to see more from him on a consistent basis to be convinced to keep him around longer, regardless of how Brock and Harrison's development begins.

But if the status quo remains and Wells continues to raise red flags in the batter's box, New York might have no choice but to part ways sooner rather than later.

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