Every lineup has a few cold spots. The question is how long you can wait before those holes start dragging everything down.
New York Yankees fans have seen an offense that largely hums thanks to Aaron Judge’s steady dominance, but some key contributors are falling behind.
Cody Bellinger hasn’t found his rhythm. And behind the plate, Austin Wells is stuck somewhere between breakout and breakdown.
Wells has power, but it’s not showing up enough
Wells isn’t a complete liability. In fact, his surface numbers show occasional pop.
He’s slashing .210/.265/.475 with six home runs and a .722 OPS, which could be far worse from a catcher.
He’s also barreling the ball at an impressive rate, sitting in the 73rd percentile in barrel rate and 79th percentile in hard-hit percentage.
But for all that contact quality, the contact quantity just isn’t there.
The whiffs are piling up, and the walks are disappearing
Wells is whiffing on 26.7% of his swings and striking out 21.2% of the time — both manageable, but trending the wrong way.
What’s more concerning is his walk rate, which has dipped to 7.1% after hovering in more comfortable double-digit territory earlier in his career.
That’s the kind of drop that starts to affect on-base percentage and plate confidence, especially for a young hitter.
He doesn’t need to become a leadoff guy, but the Yankees need more selective swings and fewer empty trips.
His defense is elite — but that only goes so far
It’s worth noting that Wells is quietly one of the best defensive catchers in baseball this year.
He ranks in the 100th percentile in catcher framing runs and has stabilized a pitching staff that’s dealt with injuries and inconsistency.
That matters — a lot. But it doesn’t erase what the lineup is missing when he steps to the plate.
Wells was drafted for his bat. The defense is a bonus. And now, the Yankees need both to show up at once.
The Yankees are dropping him in the lineup — for now
Manager Aaron Boone has already responded by sliding Wells further down the order.
He hit seventh against the Padres on Monday, and if things don’t change, he may slide further down soon.
That’s not a punishment. It’s just an attempt to reduce pressure and let him reset his approach before it becomes a prolonged slump.
He’s still just 25 years old, and there’s a long season ahead. If he improves his contact rate, the power will follow.
And when it does, Wells could go from frustrating to essential in a matter of weeks.
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