Yankees Plans at Catcher Could Change With Recent Austin Wells Revelation

With the New York Yankees down a run against the Philadelphia Phillies, Austin Wells was up at the plate. The struggling catcher has been an easy out for the New York Yankees for most of the year, but down a run, he played hero early. Wells hit an opposite-field shot that found its way into the seats at Citizens Bank Park, tying the game.

Wells ambushed Brian Keller's first pitch, sending his low-90s sinker 430 feet. It came off Wells' bat at 105.7 MPH, falling just shy of landing in the second deck. The burrito power may be back.

AUSTIN WELLS HOMERS IN HIS FIRST AT BAT SINCE DROPPING HIS FIRST BURRITO REVIEW OF THE YEAR https://t.co/DOt3pNYdpx pic.twitter.com/DO8j4kBmus
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 25, 2026

This wasn't Wells' first homer recently, either. In his last 29 plate appearances, Wells has hit three long balls. During that span, he is hitting .304/.448/.695, and even his walks are ticking up. Wells has an 11.9% walk rate on the year. During this run of games, he's walking at a 17.2% clip.

This is the version of Wells the Yankees have been waiting for all year. Something seems to have changed, especially if now he's hitting the ball to all fields. Just this week against the Pirates, he hit a single the other way, against another Keller. That was Mitch Keller that time around.

The future at catcher

With the Yankees in need of a catcher, a tiny sample size of 29 games may not completely alter their plans, but they may think twice about what they're willing to give up as they look to improve their roster at the August 4th trade deadline. It doesn't seem like they would totally abandon whomever they had their sights set on, but if Wells is showing signs of life, they could acquire a catcher who has little chance of usurping him down the line.

If the Yankees do acquire Ryan Jeffers, he's a free agent after this year. With him on the roster, they can still give Wells at-bats and see if he finishes the season strong in the opportunities that Aaron Boone gives him. If that happens, they can let Jeffers walk at the end of the season. It's no harm, no foul. If it's the other way around, and this run is just a fluke, they can think about retaining Jeffers.

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (27) celebrates after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Yankees can also move in the direction of Tyler Stephenson. Stephenson is a righty, and he could serve as a platoon with Wells. Stephenson could even DH at times, allowing their former top catching prospect to continue showing if he can salvage his season.

Wells still has a lot to show, even if that blast against the Phillies was impressive. Wells is swinging a hot stick, but he still has a 56 wRC+. He is well below the point of league average, and may not even hit his mark of 94, which was still pretty disappointing last season.

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