Yankees' Austin Wells Opens Up About Thrilling WBC Experience

New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells has had a pretty unique spring. He stepped away from Yankees camp to suit up for Team Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and the experience turned out to be something he had never felt before. There is a lot he wants to talk about.

Per MLB Network's Hot Stove, Wells joined the show after the exhibition series in Santo Domingo to share what the whole experience has been like, from the atmosphere to learning a brand new pitching staff to the possibility of going up against his own Yankees teammate.

His mom's parents are both from the Dominican Republic, which made him eligible under WBC rules. General manager Nelson Cruz personally recruited him for the team, and Wells said the lead-up had been special since he still has a lot of family living there.

The crowd at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal was somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 people, smaller than most big league parks. But when the announcer started calling names, it hit differently.

“It wasn't like anything I've ever experienced... When the announcer said who was coming up to bat, I felt like those were the loudest introductions I've ever heard.”@Yankees and Team Dominican Republic catcher Austin Wells reacts to the atmosphere in Santo Domingo Tuesday 🇩🇴🔊 pic.twitter.com/swyq4t9Znq
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 4, 2026

"It wasn't like anything I've ever experienced," Wells said. "When the announcer said who was coming up to bat, I felt like those were the loudest introductions I've ever heard."

How Austin Wells Adjusted to Catching for Team Dominican Republic

For most positions, jumping into a WBC roster mid-spring is an adjustment. For a catcher, it is a whole different challenge. Wells had to learn a brand new pitching staff, build trust quickly, and get on the same page with guys he had barely worked with before.

Having Yankees infielder Amed Rosario on the same Team DR roster helped.

"We've got a lot of the same guys returning in New York. So that made it a little easier to come over here and being able to come to a staff like this, it's been special, and these guys have been great communicating with me. So, you know, these guys are nasty, and it's been a lot of fun," he said.

That comfort behind the plate carried over into how he saw the whole experience. Wells has spent his entire pro career inside the Yankees system, so being somewhere new, even briefly, opened his eyes in a different way.

"For me, all I've known is Yankee baseball since I've been in my professional career. So it's been a really cool experience to be kind of outside of that and see it from a different lens," he said.

Being around hitters like Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Manny Machado every day gave him a perspective he never had before. He picked up things just from conversations and watching how they approach at-bats.

Will Austin Wells and Aaron Judge Face Off at the 2026 WBC

The biggest subplot still has not played out yet. Aaron Judge, Wells' Yankees teammate and close friend, is Team USA's captain. If both teams make it deep into the bracket, Wells will be the catcher deciding how to handle him in the box. He has already been thinking about it.

"We've definitely talked about it a little bit," Wells said. "He's the best, and hopefully we get that opportunity to go against them, hopefully in the final or whenever it may be. So definitely thought about it. Haven't decided on the approach yet."

Team DR opens pool play at loanDepot Park in Miami while Judge and Team USA are in Houston. If both teams advance, that matchup between two Yankees who know each other better than anyone would be one of the purest moments the WBC could produce.

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