The Yankees were impressed by what they saw in a September cameo from Austin Wells, who went a long way in answering questions about his defense behind the plate — at least as much as anyone can in 19 games.
Just how much is the rookie catcher capable of handling over the course of a full season?
They’re about to find out, though a healthy Jose Trevino may have something to say about that.
Trevino is likely to be catching Gerrit Cole on Opening Day in Houston, but Wells is expected to have a chance to earn his fair share of playing time, especially if he can continue to make strides behind the plate.
When Wells arrived in the big leagues Sept. 1, the 24-year-old did so with the reputation of a bat-first catcher.
His offensive potential began to show itself by the end of the month — and his presence as a left-handed hitter does not lack in significance, even after the Yankees spent the offseason ensuring their lineup would have better balance — but it was the rest of his game that earned the most notice.
From the first series he played in against the Astros, Wells’ coaches and teammates raved about his work behind the plate and how he dove in head-first to establish relationships with his pitchers.
Manager Aaron Boone said at the end of the season that Wells had “probably surpassed our expectations” defensively, albeit in a small sample size.
“I feel like I gave us a good chance to win behind the plate,” Wells said on the final day of the season. “The pitching staff did a really good job welcoming me and trusting me. Yeah, I think in the short time [here] I accomplished a great goal of mine to show I can catch in the big leagues.”
Now it will be up to Wells to show he is ready for more, beginning in 2 ¹/₂ weeks when pitchers and catchers report to spring training — though he has spent much of the offseason in Tampa to get a head start on his preparation.
The return of Trevino, who underwent surgery in July to repair a tear in his right wrist, should not be overlooked.
The Yankees believe the Gold Glove catcher has a strong influence on their pitching staff (though his defensive prowess won’t help much in keeping them healthy), which is part of why Boone said at the winter meetings that “the loss of [Trevino] last year was enormous for us.
“I don’t want to understate how important I think Jose is to our team and to our clubhouse and what a force he is in our room, and we miss that,” Boone added.
There is also Ben Rortvedt, who in Trevino’s absence took on the responsibility of becoming Cole’s personal catcher and held his own in the process.
Rortvedt, who has not provided much offensively in his big league opportunities, is out of minor league options, which means the Yankees risk losing him on waivers if they try to send him to Triple-A at the end of camp.
For now, Rortvedt is part of the Yankees’ depth at the position, which also includes new additions to the 40-man roster in Carlos Narvez and Agustin Ramirez, to help protect against injuries.
Wells was the one who was robbed of most of spring training last year after fracturing a rib.
This time around, he will be trying to use camp as a springboard into what he hopes is his first full season in the big leagues.
“I think there’s a real confidence that Austin has that stems from just really pouring into his craft,” catching coach Tanner Swanson said at the end of the season. “He doesn’t seem overwhelmed by anything. And then I think the on-field performance, at least from a defensive standpoint, I think he’s checked a lot of boxes.
“There’s obviously room to grow, but I think that the baseline skill set is there, and he’s going to continue to improve and get better, and wants to improve and wants to get better.”
The 158 innings Wells caught in the majors last season make it difficult to glean much from his advanced defensive metrics.
But one of the biggest knocks on him coming up was his arm strength, where Swanson said Wells has made enough progress to become “at least average if not slightly above average in terms of just throw velocity.”
“He’s super hungry, super moldable,” Swanson said, “and he’s gonna continue to get better.”
