The New York Yankees have been tinkering with their lineup as of late, and while the team hasn’t been absolutely dominant since the trade deadline, they’ve won three of their last four series as they aim to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East division race.
On top of that, they’ve been doing this without three of their biggest bats in Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, with the team also adding in several pieces they acquired at the trade deadline. Now, they begin a crucial series with the AL East rival Toronto Blue Jays, and with the revelation of their first lineup, they’ve made a huge call on the catcher position once more.
Austin Wells Back in the Yankees Lineup
GettyAustin Wells of the New York Yankees.
This season, the Yankees have failed to get much consistent production out of the catcher position, and as of late, they’ve been using the duo of Ali Sanchez and Austin Wells, platooning them against right/left handed pitching.
That’s led to three straight days with a different starter behind the plate, and after going with Sanchez in the series finale against the Seattle Mariners, a 1-0 loss for the Yankees at home, they’ve made a change yet again. On Friday, the team head to Toronto for a crucial series with the rival Blue Jays, and with the announcement of the starting lineup, the team revealed that Wells would be back in the lineup as the team battle right-handed starter Shane Bieber.
At the moment, it simply appears as though New York are going with Wells against right-handers and Sanchez against left-handers, and given the success of the rest of the lineup, it appears to be working for now. However, when the post-season arrives, the Yankees will want to find that permanent catcher than can effect the game, meaning both Sanchez and Wells are looking to find that rhythm and momentum down the stretch.
What is the Yankees Solution at Catcher?
At the deadline, the Yankees were linked to all types of solutions at the position, but in the end, it was the rival Boston Red Sox that made the biggest catcher splash, landing switch-hitter Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles.
That’s left the Yankees with a major hole, and while they don’t plan on filling it in 2026, before the 2027 season begins (if and when it does), they need to find a full-time solution, as the team need power from behind the plate.
For now though, the catchers will simply hit down the order and bring good defense behind the plate, and that may end up working out with the returns of Judge, Bellinger and Stanton, but if they want a long-term solution, it doesn’t appear that Wells will be that, despite all of the optimism the organization once had around him.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Yankees Make Huge Call on Austin Wells Ahead of Blue Jays Series appeared first on HEAVY.