3 Yankees prospects we’re most excited to see in 2021
By Adam Weinrib
2. Austin Wells
How ready is Austin Wells? Can the Yankees count on him?
Austin Wells, the 2020 first-round pick out of Arizona, was clearly a statement selection.
After all, the Yankees’ first-rounder in 2018 had also been a catcher — Anthony Seigler, out of high school. His 2019 season was brutal, and then his follow-up was wiped off the map. Somehow, well over two years after Seigler’s selection, we know almost nothing about him.
No matter how you feel about Gary Sanchez, his long-term future in the Bronx seems to be questionable at best, already over at worst, and Wells was pitched as the closer-to-MLB-ready solution to the Seigler failure. I can’t wait to see him work.
Wells, a gruff alternative to the current catching crop, has an excellent hit tool and moderate power, though some suspect he won’t ultimately stick behind the plate. Obviously, the Yankees would vastly prefer he do so, Sanchez conundrum aside. Even an average hitter stands out when he’s playing solid defense behind the plate, rather than languishing somewhere else on the diamond. Remember Joe Mauer?
The Yankees selected Wells as catcher of the future material, but he entered a league on hiatus, and hasn’t been able to show anything off yet, except his wit in post-draft interviews. He’ll be able to prove a lot in a short amount of time in 2021.