The Yankees have one of the best catcher duos in baseball, composed of Austin Wells and Jose Trevino. Trevino has been out with a quad injury and has been rehabbing over the past few weeks. In his stead, the Yankees promoted Carlos Narváez from Triple-A, who’s had a few solid performances but has been mostly inconsistent due to a lack of experience. Narváez is a solid defensive catcher, at the very least, so he does present some value.
Austin Wells’ Impactful Performance
However, Trevino’s return will reinforce a position that has enjoyed a total makeover with the impact of Austin Wells. Wells has been excellent over the past few months and continues to showcase improvements as the season progresses.
Over 79 games and 273 plate appearances, Wells is hitting .251/.346/.416, including eight homers and 33 RBIs, with a 19.8% strikeout rate and 12.5% walk rate. His 118 wRC+ suggests he’s 18% better than the average MLB hitter, and he’s been a staple in the cleanup spot lately.
Wells’ Key Role
For Sunday’s afternoon game against the Texas Rangers, Wells will bat fifth with Giancarlo Stanton in the clean-up spot. However, the rookie catcher has seen elevating numbers in multiple categories. One of the most important aspects is his performance with runners in scoring position. Over 64 at-bats, he’s hitting .266, including two homers and 26 RBIs.
Defensive Skills and Prospect Trade
Defensively, he’s been equally as impressive, ranking 13th in strike rate and 4th in catcher framing runs, both above average. Despite having a few red flags defensively going into the MLB, Wells has shrugged off any narrative that he’s incapable of being a true asset behind the dish. Ultimately, the Yankees chose to trade Agustin Ramirez, one of their top catcher prospects, to the Miami Marlins for Jazz Chisholm, mainly due to Wells’ development and success this season.
Trevino’s Defensive Excellence
However, Trevino remains arguably the best defensive catcher in the sport. He ranks 3rd in catcher framing runs and 3rd in strike rate, but his injury certainly hurt his advancement in some areas. The leader in catching framing runs is Patrick Bailey, who’s caught 2361 pitches with 12 catcher framing runs. Trevino has only caught 1442, so he would’ve blown that metric out of the water.
Trevino’s Offensive Contribution
Offensively, Trevino hosts a 102 wRC+, indicating he is slightly above average this season. He’s hitting .244/.303/.411, including eight homers and 27 RBIs.
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Future Roles for Wells and Trevino
Ultimately, the Yankees have a dynamic duo, and Trevino is under contract until 2026. With the way Wells has been swinging the bat, the Yankees have no reason to reduce his reps, so Trevino seems to be headed toward a backup role long-term.