Entering the 2024 season, the catcher position was a question mark for the New York Yankees as they would be relying on rookie Austin Wells alongside Jose Trevino, who was returning from season-ending wrist surgery. There were legitimate concerns for both players, on one hand, Wells flashed offensive upside but still carried concerns about his defensive abilities while Trevino carried massive offensive concerns after posting a sub-.600 OPS in 2023. Despite those concerns, and even an injury to the Platinum Glove winner, the Yankees are currently first in baseball in catcher WAR (4.6).
How did such a risky gamble play out this well for the Yankees? Well with their excellent ability to develop catcher defense and some offensive tweaks from both Trevino and Wells, they’ve reached new heights as a duo.
The Yankees Have Mastered the Art of Catcher Framing
People have long criticized the Yankees’ defensive decisions behind the plate, and it all started with Gary Sanchez using a one-knee stance. There was always a debate about the value of framing versus blocking or throwing, and while no data suggested that the one-knee down stance would hinder any ability to block or throw, it did reveal a massive advantage when it came to framing. When looking at how the Yankees have performed defensively over the last three years, it’s hard to argue that the Yankees don’t know what they’re doing in terms of catcher defense.
Some might argue that Jose Trevino is the only reason why they’ve taken a large step forward, and while he’s definitely the best defensive catcher they rostered at any point in the last decade, he improved in New York. With the Texas Rangers, he was a good defensive catcher but not one that would have a claim for being the best defensive player in the entire sport. His only season with serious playing time came in 2021, and he was brilliant behind the plate, but if we even out the playing time that season and compare it to his tenure with the Yankees, the difference is staggering.
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Jose Trevino went from a good defender to the best defensive catcher in the sport with the Yankees, and while the overall stance is pretty similar, he’ll change some things in his set-up to better help him frame specific pitches. Trevino is an extremely intelligent and aware defender who can read situations and interpret information quickly, and paired with catching coordinator Tanner Swanson, they’ve developed a solid backup catcher into an excellent starting-caliber player on a championship contender.
He’s 9th in fWAR (6.5) among catchers since joining the Yankees in 2022, and people often disrespect and underrate his impact on the team. Arguably the best defender in baseball, his injury was supposed to seriously impact their defensive prowess behind the plate, but Austin Wells has stepped up and become one of the best defensive catchers in the game. It truly is incredible to see someone who was seen more as a first baseman or outfielder become an excellent defender at the most important position in the game, and the leaps here are monumental as well.
In 158 innings last year, Wells had -2 Defensive Runs Saved and -2 Fielding Run Value, struggling to provide any value outside of his solid framing skills, but he’s done a complete 180 in 2024. He’s one of just four catchers with double-digit DRS (+10) while also having 6 FRV and a whopping 8.1 Framing Runs, and while I don’t expect him to win the AL Gold Glove, he has a good shot to finish as a finalist for the award. His defensive improvements have steadied the ship in Trevino’s absence, and he’s come into his own as a two-way catcher.
The Yankees are first among all teams in Defensive Runs Saved, Fielding Run Value, and Framing Runs from their catchers, and they’ve dramatically improved the defensive skills of their two primary catching options. The team gets criticized for how many steals they allow, but not only are they in the top half of the league in Caught Stealing%, but they’re also 22nd in Stolen Bases allowed as a whole. Teams don’t “run wild” on them the way fans think they do, and I don’t envision teams trying to swipe double-digit bases again in a single game.
It’s rare to see two top-10 catchers on the same team, but defense isn’t the only thing they’re bringing to the table.
Austin Wells and Jose Trevino Are Swinging The Bat
Few hitters have impressed me as much as Austin Wells this season, who has married a skillset of power, contact, and plate discipline to be a strong middle-of-the-order threat. He’s truly hit the ground running since a cold start to his season, posting a 165 wRC+ since June 25th and a 137 wRC+ since April 24th. He brings important skills to the table, and the Yankees are going to need him to keep rolling if they want to get to the promised land in 2024. He’s ascended to having the third-highest fWAR among catchers (2.8) and could very well win Rookie of the Year.
As for Jose Trevino, he isn’t as good offensively as Wells, but he’s posted a 102 wRC+ and has seen improvements to both his pulled flyball rate and chase rate. Trevino has done a good job of getting the ball out to left field, which has allowed him to hit for some power and provide strong offensive value for a catcher. When your backup catcher could contend for a Gold Glove and swing a decent bat, you have an embarrassment of riches at the position, and people forget that Trevino is still 10th among all catchers in fWAR (1.9).
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If Jose Trevino played 100 games this season at the pace he played at prior to his injury, he would have a 3.7 fWAR and 15 home runs, which would be a remarkable campaign. For context, in his 2022 All-Star campaign, Trevino posted a 3.9 fWAR in 115 games, which is a slightly worse per 100 pace. That doesn’t mean that his 2024 season is better, because we’re assuming that he doesn’t slow down and maintains the offensive success he’s had, but the point is that Trevino has been pretty underrated this season.
He’s become a great mentor for Austin Wells, and with Trevino entering free agency after the 2025 season, the lane is there for the Yankees to have a long-term catching option. Austin Wells has been lauded for his leadership abilities on the field and in the clubhouse, and that’s going to be important as he grows into his role on this team. The success he’s had this season reflects very well on the team’s catching development, but it also shows the kind of player that Wells is.
At every step of the way, people repeated the same phrase about the 24-year-old: “He’s not a catcher”. Now, he’s one of the best at his position on both sides of the ball, and he’s the primary catcher on a Yankees’ team that has the best catching tandem in the game.