To wrap up a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night, the New York Yankees made a few batting order changes. Notably, they moved right-handed hitter Giancarlo Stanton into the cleanup spot, moving Austin Wells one position down to fill the five-hole.
The Yankees Have Gotten Amazing Results From Austin Wells
Wells has been excellent this season, and his numbers continue to surge as he experiences more reps. Over 76 games and 263 plate appearances, Wells is hitting .249/.347/.416, including eight homers and 29 RBIs, with a 19.8% strikeout rate and 12.9% walk rate.
Wells has recorded 2.7 WAR so far, making him one of the best catchers in baseball, especially with above-average defensive metrics. Batting fourth, Wells is hitting .358/.429/.547 over 53 at-bats.
In other words, he’s been one of the Yankees’ best hitters and has been a tremendous cleanup option. To combat left-handed Angels starter Tyler Anderson on Thursday, the Yankees felt as though Stanton was a better fit for cleanup, which makes sense based on the splits.
Against lefties this year, Wells is hitting just .233 over 30 at-bats, with the Yankees trying to hold him out against same-side pitchers.
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However, Stanton is hitting .253 against lefties, so the Yankees are simply trying to capitalize on those numbers. Anderson is a solid pitcher, hosting a 3.05 ERA this season over 135.2 innings. He’s not much of a strikeout arm and has low ground ball percentages, so the Yankees should have some success against him. Anderson has given up six earned runs over his last two combined performances, including three earned over five innings against the Mets on August 2.