Yankees Catcher Needs WBC Teammates to Rub Off on Him

Austin Wells had a disappointing second season in the big leagues. It was the very definition of a sophomore slump.

His glove was better than anybody could have predicted, but it was his bat that underwhelmed. A 94 wRC+ is better than what most catchers can produce, but it's below what the New York Yankees were expecting. It was to the point that Wells was benched for a time before piecing his season back together in the latter months of the year.

After an up-and-down 2025, Wells probably needed a little shock to his system, and being a part of a stacked Dominican Republic team, which has as much personality as it does talent, could be the best thing for him. He's getting on-the-job training, being around some of the best players in the league, and he's seeing how guys operate outside of the Yankee bubble he has been a part of since the minor leagues.

Rubbing Off on Him

Wells spoke about leaving his comfort zone as the primary catcher for the Dominican Republic's WBC team. He says his teammates are rubbing off on him.

"This is my first time ever playing outside of the Yankees umbrella since I got drafted, so I definitely had some nerves going into the first [exhibition] game in the Dominican," Wells told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. Being able to be on a team that has such confidence, it's infectious."

A Parade of Pitchers

The Dominican Republic team is stacked everywhere. They have some of the best hitters in the league, from Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Vladimir Guerrero, Fernando Tatis and Julio Rodriguez, to some of the nastiest pitchers as well.

One of the more underrated parts of Wells' experience at the WBC is just how many pitchers he is catching. On Friday night, during the team's introduction to pool play, Wells caught ten different pitchers. On Sunday, in a game where they won by a mercy rule off the back of a Juan Soto home run, he saw three.

Two of them were former Yankees. One was Luis Severino. The other was Albert Abreu.

"Getting to catch these guys, a lot of them for the first time, it's been really awesome," Wells continued. "They've come out here and done their thing, pitched to their strengths, and really haven't given in in the few situations where they've had to compete. It's been impressive to be behind the plate for these guys; they are on the team for a reason."

Contributing at the Plate

Wells was part of the hit parade that saw the Netherlands' pitching staff eviscerated for 12 runs, with the game finally called in the seventh inning. Wells cracked a 3-1 fastball by Wendell Floranus that was on the bottom corner of the in the fifth inning.

Austin Wells mashes one to the SECOND DECK!

Team Dominican Republic is locked in 🔥 pic.twitter.com/PvHpAfIiSv
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026

He pulled the ball, with it rocketing off his bat at 104 MPH and travelling 388 feet. Waiting for Wells were his teammates. When he jumped on home plate, Juan Soto was there to drape the Dominican Republic's patented home run jacket on him. The team even had its own homer celebration, too.

Being around this much talent could be the best thing to happen to Wells. He called his teammates infectious, so hopefully, they rub off on him, and Wells could have the type of offensive season that fans and the Yankees have been waiting for. He does have one of those swings that are perfect for that short porch in right field, after all.

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