The New York Yankees notched a huge comeback win at home against the Kansas City Royals on Monday. They were down 2-0 in the middle of the fourth inning and 4-3 in the seventh, but rookie catcher Austin Wells made sure his team returned home with a W.
Austin Wells is putting together a ROTY campaign
Wells cemented his status as one of the top AL Rookie of the Year candidates with a brilliant performance at the plate. He went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, a run, and four RBIs.
The highlight of his night, however, was his electric go-ahead blast in the seventh frame, one that sent Yankee Stadium into a frenzy. That one went out in a hurry, as Wells knew it was a homer right after it left his bat.
Wells, who is now making a strong case for even more playing time on the Yankees, has fully broken out and is hitting .252/.342/.438. That, for a catcher, is incredible.
We would say he has impressed his own Yankees teammates, but they are familiar with his game and aren’t all that shocked, especially Jasson Dominguez.
“I’m not impressed because I knew what he’s capable of. But obviously he’s doing great. I mean, that homer today? It was insane,” the ‘Martian’ told Yankees insider Max Goodman.
The Yankees are enjoying a torrid stretch by Wells
Dominguez and Wells know each other very well. They have been sharing a clubhouse on and off since 2021 in Single-A.
Dominguez certainly knows what Wells is capable of. The Yankees are fortunate to have two building blocks for the future now starting the MLB lineup. Since July 10th, Wells has hit a jaw-dropping 299/.385/.533 with a 157 wRC+.
As a cleanup hitter, he has a 153 wRC+, making him the ideal batter to follow Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in the lineup. Yes, Jasson, we all agree with you: Wells is insane.
