HE’S HERE TO HIT HOMERS!
Wells says it’s his bat, not defense, that will get him to big leagues
TAMPA — Austin Wells calls himself a catcher. The Yankees’ firstround draft pick has worked hard on his defense and takes pride in calling himself that. But the former University of Arizona player knows it will be his bat, not his glove that gets him to the Bronx, so he’s willing to change.
“I’m a catcher. I want to be a catcher, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get to the big leagues,” Wells said Thursday afternoon on a conference call with Yankees beat writers. “So if it’s at another position then I’ll just hit home runs at Yankee Stadium and play wherever they need me to.”
Less than a day after the Yankees took him with the 28th pick of the MLB draft, much was still uncertain for Wells. As the players and owners negotiate their way back to some semblance of a major league season after being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic back in March, there is almost certainly going to be no minor league season.
Wells, who will be represented by Scott Boras, said he’s “ready to get going,” when asked if he thought he would sign quickly. But he and baseball have no idea where he will be going. Sources said that once the major league season is sorted out, the teams will be looking to expand the fall leagues for minor leaguers.
Until then, Wells said he has been working out on his own since his collegiate season was shut down after just 15 games.
“It’s already been the longest period where I haven’t played a baseball game in my life So, just the last couple months I’ve been trying to stay in shape, running, lifting, throwing, working on my hitting and working on defense,” Wells said. “All those things just helped keep me sane in this time. I’m trying to keep ready, just in case there are games to be played this fall or whenever the next opportunity is.“I don’t think the adjustment period was going to be too long for me just because of the preparation that I put into my work.”
And that work is focused on catching. Scouts have been critical of his defense, noting a slow pop time, clunky receiving and an arm that doesn’t seem as strong as it was in 2018, when the Yankees drafted him in the 35th round coming out of high school.
“I am definitely continuing to improve every day,” Wells said. “Even through the tough times that we’re going through, I think that’s definitely been one of my main focuses and will continue to be one of my main focuses going forward, especially if I want to get through the minor leagues quickly and make an impact on the big league club.”
The Yankees seem at least willing to give him a chance to develop behind the plate.
“We are very happy to get Austin Wells today,” Yankees director of amateur domestic scouting Damon Oppenheimer said in a statement the team released late Wednesday night. “We thought he was one of the top hit and power combinations in the draft. We love his desire and makeup, along with his athleticism. We have known him for years and seen him progress quite a bit behind the plate to allow us to believe he can be an impact guy.”
That impact will come with Wells’ bat and that’s where the scouts really like him.
Two scouts who saw him praised his approach at the plate, both describing Wells as “patient” and praising his ability to use the field. There is power to all fields right now, but both scouts agreed that more will be unlocked as he grows.
He slashed .308/.389/.526 in the Cape Cod League last year, which teams use as a good projection indicator because the players use wood bats — unlike the metal in college. Wells had just 15 games with the Wildcats this season before the coronavirus shut down baseball across the na
tion. He continued to crush in that limited time, hitting .375/ .527/.589.
The Yankees had watched him grow since they took him in the 2018 draft. Wells has called not signing with the Bombers in 2018 and going to Arizona the “best decision” of his life.
“I grew as a player, grew as a leader, grew as a person off the field. I got bigger, stronger, faster, developed into the player and now because I went to Arizona,” Wells said. “So being able to go Arizona and then get re-picked by the Yankees — a lot higher than out of high school — definitely was a testament to making the right decision… Now we’re here and hopefully going to be a Yankee soon.”