Yankees' Ryan Jeffers Pursuit Could Pick Up Steam as Veteran Catcher Takes Next Step in His Rehab

It's hard to imagine that anybody saw the type of season that Austin Wells has had for the New York Yankees. Even the biggest Wells detractors on social media, who think anything less than Thurman Munson and Jorge Posada-type production is bustworthy, could have projected that he would be the worst hitter in the league.

That sentiment isn't just overdramatic either. Wells is that bad.

The former top catching prospect in the organization owns a 37 wRC+. That is actually the worst mark in baseball by a hitter with at least 190 plate appearances this season.

That 37 wRC+ is actually the fifth worst in all of baseball since the National League got rid of the DH in 2022. You can see why the Yankees would rather have Ryan Jeffers, the Minnesota Twins backstop who hasn't sniffed the field since May.

This season’s version of Austin Wells is the worst baseball player I have ever seen in the over 60 years I have been following the Yankees. And it is nuts that he plays almost everyday or even occupying a spot on a major league roster.
— Michael Dorbuck (@mikedorb1) July 4, 2026

Jeffers on the mend

On the Jeffers front, he has finally taken the field and is rehabbing for the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, the St. Paul Saints. Jeffers was a DH in his first game and looks like he hasn't missed a beat. What he did should be intriguing for the Yankees, who have had their eyes on him all year.

Jeffers went 2-for-3, scorching two singles. According to Minnesota's beat writer from The Athletic, Dan Hayes, the first single came off his bat at 104.6 MPH. The second was at 108.6.

In his second game, Jeffers homered off of Simeon Woods Richardson. That one came off his bat at 105.4 MPH. Jeffers, who had elite bat-to-ball data before going down, continued his trend of ripping baseballs.

Pre-injury, Jeffers owned an average exit velocity of 91.2 MPH and had a 15.8% barrel rate. Not to mention a 15.5% strikeout rate, which matches his 15.5% walk rate. It's clear that adding Jeffers would be one of the bigger upgrades a team could make in MLB, especially since the Yankees are dealing with a historically bad bat.

Not exactly Yankee-related, but Ryan Jeffers cracked the first home run of his rehab stint 👀
(Hamate bone injury)

105.4 mph for the Twins catcher and potential trade candidate at the deadline... pic.twitter.com/INLJcJigbZ
— Cai Rogers (@cai_rogers7) July 4, 2026

Next up for Jeffers is catching. His legs will be the next most important part of this process for him.

"The legs are going to be a different story, just in terms of making sure the legs get back into shape," Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton said before dropping the first game to the Yankees, MLB.com's Jared Greenspan reports. "There's no way to be able to do that except for him catching, and he will do that in the coming days."

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober (17) celebrates with Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (27) after defeating the Miami Marlins at Target Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Teams should always be wary of making attempts to upgrade catcher mid-season. Especially when pitching is a strength, the way it is for the Yankees. Wells knows this staff inside and out.

Unfortunately, when someone is as bad as Wells, and a team is intent on making it to the World Series, changes have to be made. You can't make Martin Maldanado look like Babe Ruth in comparison.

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