New York Yankees’ backup catcher Austin Romine would be the starting catcher for pretty much any other MLB team except for a few exceptions. Drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft by the New York Yankees out of high school he’s spent his whole career in the Yankee organization and I don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon.
As the backup catcher, Romine only sees the field if there’s a day game after a night game or when the Yankees are giving Gary Sanchez a night off. He’s been behind the scenes much of this season but Romine is much more than a backup catcher. When Masahiro Tanaka takes the mound, Romie is usually the one behind the plate. Those guys just click together and it works. Not a beat on Gary Sanchez, just sometimes a pitcher and a catcher get in rhythm together and it just works.
Romine knows his worth along being a team player. In a postgame interview earlier in the season he said, “We just don’t give up, we keep fighting to the end. It’s just next guy up and let’s get the job done.” When asked about feeling pressured when he’s in he said, “No, we’re out here to do our job. When we take good swings and go at-bats, good things happen.” On top of being talented, Tomine is a team-first kind of player, and that’s why the Yankees value him so much.
The 30-year-old catcher signed a 1-year/$1.8 million dollar contract this season with the Yankees. For a backup catcher, that’s a pretty sizeable small contract. He’ll be eligible for free agency following the 2019 season.
This season he’s batting .268 with six home runs and 29 runs batted in. Romine has been in big spots this season too. He hit a 10th inning walk-off single to give the Yankees a 7-6 win over the Royals earlier this season.