The Yankees announced that both Austin Wells and Aaron Judge would be slow-played due to their workloads in 2024, as both played through the World Series for the first time. Expected to return in March, Wells wasn’t hurt but rather having his workload managed, but the Yankees have him starting today against the Cardinals at catcher a few days earlier than that March 1st timeline.
He’ll bat fifth behind Paul Goldschmidt, as the Yankees will take on the Cardinals at George M. Steinbrenner Field at 1:05 PM, catching familiar battery mate Will Warren.
Austin Wells Returns to the Yankees’ Lineup Earlier Than Expected
A long season for Austin Wells led to the Yankees managing his Spring Training workload a little differently, as last season the lefty-swinging catcher saw his power and production at the plate falter. He looked gassed (or hurt), which could have been a product of playing through September and the World Series while also being struck by a pitch on his hand right before his massive slump.
He posted a 105 wRC+ and was a top-five defensive catcher in the sport last season, as Austin Wells looked like the catcher of the future in 2024. Wells might have won Rookie of the Year had he kept things going from a hot month of August, but the Yankees are hoping they can get his power from start to finish. The loss of Juan Soto hurts their offense, but the growing concern regarding Giancarlo Stanton’s uncertain situation places more pressure on the offense.
Guys like Austin Wells will have to step up offensively, but the Yankees also know that he’s one of their defensive anchors behind the plate.
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The Yankees have made it a critical point of their offseason to ensure their defense is better than last year, but the subtraction of Jose Trevino does put their defense in flux a bit. Austin Wells is going to take a huge brunt of the defensive responsibilities left behind, but his numbers from last year suggest he’s more than capable..
A defender capable of winning the AL Gold Glove at catcher, the Yankees know they have a captain in the infield with Wells, and today he’ll catch Will Warren. It’s a good test not just for where Wells is at physically after the shortened offseason, but also a good test for how Warren works with someone he came up with through the Minor Leagues.
Both shared time in Somerset and Scranton from 2022-2024, and this young battery is an important one to monitor throughout Spring Training. Injuries in the bullpen have opened the door for anyone to compete for that final spot, and Will Warren could try and snag that job as a way to finally establish himself on the Major League roster.