Austin Wells stays locked in with clutch home run in Yankees' win over Blue Jays
With the season in its final stages, there seems to be a new hero for the Yankees every game. On Tuesday night, young catcher Austin Wells used his bat to lead New York to victory.
In the Yankees’ win over the Blue Jays in Toronto on Tuesday night, the 24-year-old came to the plate in the ninth inning in a scoreless game. Facing Jays closer Jordan Romano, Wells made him pay for trying to get ahead in the count with a fastball that had way too much plate.
Wells planted the pitch 362 feet over the left-center field wall to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.
"Coming in here and getting to have a hit like that in the late innings is what you play the game for,” Wells said after the game. “It felt good, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to be out there in that situation.”
The young backstop struggled when he was first called up in early September, going 2-for-21 to start his big league career, but recently something has clicked for Wells. Over his last seven games, Wells is hitting 7-for-24 (.292) including three home runs over his last five contests.
When YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits asked him why he’s getting so comfortable, Wells said his approach and some luck is the reason.
“We’re facing a lot of good arms and I’m just trying to be calm up there and get a good pitch to hit,” he explained. “Luckily I was ready to go and got a good pitch to drive.”
He explained further that his hot streak is a result of swinging at the right pitches and being on time. But he also credited his teammates for supporting him since his call up.
“This team has been great to me and helped me a lot throughout this whole experience. I’m just blessed to be here,” Wells said.
Wells, the organization’s No. 8 prospect, may not have that designation for long -- especially if he continues to produce at the plate and show he can defend behind it. The Las Vegas native’s defense, specifically his arm strength, was a knock on him in the minor leagues, but it’s been so far so good for Wells.
"His arm is way better than I expected. Considerably better than I expected,” Aaron Boone said of Wells’ defense before Tuesday’s game. “He's done a real, real nice job here in his first taste."
Tuesday saw him make his first error as a pro -- an errant throw trying to catch a runner stealing second -- and he has caught two of 12 runners trying to steal. But those numbers should improve as he gets more comfortable behind the plate.
The Yankees hope Wells' bat can be a difference-maker for them as they look to improve one of the worst offenses in baseball for 2024. While it’s too soon to tell where Wells fits in next season, these past few weeks have definitely helped his case.
