The New York Yankees should be preparing to cut the cord with this player if things don't turn around.
Based on the fact that the New York Yankees are 7-2 thus far, it doesn't seem like there would be a whole lot to complain about, but the real fact of the matter is that there are clearly some issues here.
The bullpen is one of them, as both Camilo Doval and David Bednar have been questionable, and Jake Bird — whom the Yankees sent down three games after acquiring him last summer — just got absolutely shelled in his last outing.
But while Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice are mashing baseballs and Aaron Judge appears to be emerging from his slumber, New York's lineup is also a problem.
Five regulars are hitting below .200, and one of them is catcher Austin Wells.
Wells has generally escaped criticism the last couple of years in spite of being one of the Yankees' most frustrating hitters.
For all of the flak Anthony Volpe — who is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery — has taken, Wells hasn't been any better.
During his first full big-league campaign in 2024, Wells slashed .229/.322/.395. Because the walk rate was solid, it looked like the backstop had a chance to develop into a very solid offensive weapon.
But then, last season, Wells' production dipped, as he slashed .219/.275/.436. Yes, he hit 21 home runs, which was nice, but his walk rate plummeted, and his strikeout rate rocketed.
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.Thus far in 2026? Things don't appear to be much different for the 26-year-old. He is batting just .167 with four walks and nine strikeouts over 28 plate appearances. All four of his hits have been singles, and he doesn't own a single RBI.
We keep hearing that Wells is going to break out of it, that he's hitting the ball hard, that it's only a matter of time before he starts producing, etc. That's all well and good, but that's going on three years now.
For whatever reason, Volpe doesn't get that same excuse. So why does Wells? And why are some Yankees fans so content with the idea of the University of Arizona product staking claim to the starting catching job for the foreseeable future?
Wells absolutely, positively should not have secured anything yet. He owns a lifetime .223/.294/.416 slash line, and there are too many times where he is an automatic out in what is a pretty terrible bottom of the order for New York.
And should I also mention his career .468 OPS in the playoffs?
The problem is that the Yankees do not have any alternatives in their minor-league system, and we know that good catchers don't just grow on trees, which is the primary reason fans have exercised so much patience with him.
But there should reach a point where Wells becomes infinitely expendable. It's getting tiring hearing how close he is to a breakthrough. If it doesn't happen soon, the calls for Wells to be replaced should grow just as loud as the jeers for Volpe.
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