Austin Wells has not had the season the Yankees may have hoped for, seeing a regresion in OPS+ and having Ben Rice take some playing time from him during the summer.
Through his first 97 games of the year, Wells was hitting .206 with a .669 OPS, a massive stepback from what we saw especially in the second half.
He lost his patient approach that allowed him to work walks, and while he was hitting for more power, it wasn’t enough to make up for the .263 OBP.
The patience has finally come back into the fold as of late, and over his last 27 games, Wells has hit .282 with a .923 OPS, as the approach is improving right in time for October to start.
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How Austin Wells Has Become a Key Player On the Yankees Again
Austin Wells finished tied with Anthony Volpe for the most WAR on the 2024 Yankees according to FanGraphs, but he hasn’t been one of the team’s three or four best players in 2025.
He still remains inside the top five, reaching the 3 WAR threshold due to excellent defense behind the plate, and what looked like a lost year has become a productive one for Wells.
The average wRC+ for a catcher is 94, and Austin Wells currently has a 96, making him a fine hitter for the position he plays, especially with his changes as of late.
An overly-aggressive approach was causing Wells to swing out of his shoes at pitches that weren’t close to the zone, especially sliders.
He’s cut his O-Swing% by roughly 8% over his last 27 games, walking 8% of the time while slugging nearly .600 due to his excellent pull-side power.
Swing decisions have defined Austin Wells’ 2025 season, his worsened strikeout rates and walk rates are a product of making poor decisions at the plate.
While the strikeouts are up as of late, the contact rates haven’t worsened and the walk rates have improved, but you can also see how good swing decisions affect power numbers.
If Austin Wells can swing at a good pitch to hit, he will do damage assuming he makes contact since he has a decently high Barrel%.
An excellent defender behind the plate, Wells is a mediocre hitter for a catcher but ranks inside the top 10 in Framing Runs and Fielding Run Value.
That kind of player is extremely impactful at the catcher position, and its why he’s inside the top 10 for WAR among catchers in 2025, and the Yankees have a mainstay there for years to come.
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