New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells was snubbed from a recent top-25 rankings of rookie talents from 2024 across the MLB.
Yankees C Austin Wells snubbed from top-25 rankings over Mets’
It was the way in which Wells received the back that was striking. The MLB included New York Mets rising star Luisangel Acuna ahead of Wells in their list.
As riveting and buzzworthy as Acuna was in his inaugural MLB campaign, the Venezuelan star only played 14 games last time out. Yes, three home runs and six RBIs accompanied by a scintillating .308/.325/.641 slash line and .966 OPS were off the charts.
All things considered though, Wells was an anchor for New York’s battery. He posted a .988 fielding percentage, notched 892 putouts, 33 assists, and five double plays turned in 2024, and helped move Yankees sluggers along the bags with 55 RBIs to show for it.
Wells deserved a top-25 nod despite room for improvement
The Arizona native did leave something to be desired in the efficiency department at the plate. His .229 regular season batting average further underwhelmed in the playoffs, where he posted a .120 batting average and .460 OPS.
Nevertheless, his sustained body of work across 115 games played ought to have superseded a 14-game hot stretch from Acuna, which needs to be proven over a longer period of time to be legitimized. No matter, Acuna is an up-and-coming star who appears to have a very bright future in the big leagues. Wells will look to be an even more impactful hitter for the Yankees next time and continue to provide stability to their backstop slot.
