What once was a “gap” area or area of concern for the New York Yankees is now no longer a problem. In fact, the individual who predominantly occupies that position has been recognized as elite. Austin Wells finds himself in the pile of MLB’s most reputable catchers in 2025.
Most clubs struggle behind the plate from one end or the other, retaining a defensive or offensive catcher, but rarely both. Although it’s tough to employ a catcher with both strengths, all major league clubs wish to have some reliability at minimum.
Wells has been a soldier for the Yankees on both ends of the field. The catcher has completely re-invented his approach and refined his skill set to be beyond reliable with the glove and with the bat.
AUSTIN WELLS TAKES THE LEAD RIGHT BACK pic.twitter.com/yh50qeVgW7
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 31, 2025
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Austin Wells Ranks Among the Top Backstops in Baseball
Wells is ranked 8th among the top 30 major league catchers with regards to exit velocity and barrels, and he’s tied for fourth for home runs with nine. Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is ranked at the top of the list with his season-long power surge.
Wells is coming off of a 2024 that was overall healthy and productive. He finished 2024 with a slash of .229/.322/.395, 13 home runs, and a 3.4 fWAR, helping him finish third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. His 2024 season was a segue for a great 2025.
A few well-known catchers right above Wells are Will Smith from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Carson Kelly of the Chicago Cubs, and Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals.
These three catchers can compare physically and offensively to Wells. They all maintain exceptional hitting metrics with performances that help their clubs win.
Wells is highly reliable at the plate for the Yankees. His contact approach in conjunction with his power and launch angles make him dangerous in a lefty-friendly Yankee Stadium.
How Wells Can Maintain and Advance His Performance
Wells pushes for contact, working on the inside of the ball and primarily working pull-side. He currently has a slash of .210/.276/.444. He has 34 hits, two extra-base hits, nine home runs, and 32 RBI.
His slashes are not exactly supporting a top-performing offensive catcher. However, in a scarce pool of consistent offensive catchers, Wells’ name holds weight. What does he need to do to continue ranking among the elite?
Extra-base hits would be a good start for the left-handed hitting catcher. Wells being in scoring position more will increase his runs scored number beyond 19. More base hits in general will give Wells a running chance at putting up at least 10 stolen bags this year. He’s currently at three.
The Yankees catcher has struck out 45 times and walked only 14 times. This results in a 24.3% strikeout percentage and a 7.6% walk percentage. More quality at-bats would possibly change these numbers and force more contact.
Wells needs to zone in when the pressure is on. He’s batting .174 in high-leverage situations, deeming his clutch performance to be on the lower scale and almost non-existent.
However, Austin Wells is expected to reach and pass his 2024 numbers. His projected increases and current contributions make him one of the more elite backstops in the league.
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