Is Austin Wells Losing His Starting Spot?

The Yankees' starting catcher, Austin Wells, stepped into the 2024 season with massive expectations. His flashes of brilliance in the previous season and during spring training sparked hope among fans and coaches, who saw him as a potential long-term catcher for the Yankees.

Unfortunately, Wells has not lived up to expectations this season. In his 14 games, he has had 35 at-bats but only managed to get three hits and nine walks, giving him a .086 batting average and a .261 on-base percentage. As things stand, Wells is the worst hitter in the Yankees' lineup, except Trent Grisham, who only plays in one game a week. 

Given his lackluster performance, manager Aaron Boone has been rotating Wells and Jose Trevino at the catcher position. Trevino has played in 13 games this season and has had 10 hits and five walks, giving him a .250 batting average and a .333 on-base percentage. While Trevino is not as highly touted as Wells, his superior performance at the plate has earned him more playing time.

If Wells wants to retain his starting position, he will need to improve his hitting over the next few games. Otherwise, he risks seeing his playing time significantly reduced.