Austin Wells

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #5 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Wells was drafted twice by the Yankees--once in high school and then again in 2020, when was an eligible sophomore at Arizona after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He missed time in 2022 with a ruptured testicle and then missed more time in 2023 with a fractured rib during spring training. He made his season debut on April 25, then put forth an .897 OPS in a season split mostly at Double-A and Triple-A. He made his big league debut on Sept. 1 and hit three home runs in 19 games.
  
  Scouting Report: One of Wells’ main objectives in 2023 was to improve his bat path. When he was slumping, he’d hang too long on his backside and then let his swing get too steep and uphill, which created a hole at the top of the zone. When he flattened his path, he became more of a complete hitter, especially when combined with his stellar knack for contact, impact and strong swing decisions. He has the skills to hit roughly .250 with a high on-base percentage and 20-25 home runs a season. Defensively, Wells draws raves for his work ethic and dedication to improvement. Scouts noticed better receiving skills and a quicker transfer on his throws, which helps counteract arm strength that is improved but is still below-average and led to him throwing out just 13% of basestealers. Scouts also noticed Wells’ strong leadership skills and ability to command a pitching staff. He is a well below-average runner.
  
  The Future: The Yankees’ current catching situation features Jose Trevino in front and five more backstops on the 40-man roster vying for the backup job. Wells should have a chance in spring training to grab that spot, with a chance to earn more and more time as the season progresses.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Field: 40 | Arm: 40
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #5 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: The Yankees were on Wells for much of his amateur career, having drafted him out of high school in 2018 and then again in 2020, when he was an eligible sophomore at Arizona. Since turning pro, Wells has done nothing but hit as he's climbed from Low-A to Double-A. He was limited to just 92 games in 2022 because of a ruptured testicle that cost him a chunk of time at midseason. He moved to Double-A upon return from the injury and showed an excellent combination of power and on-base skills. He finished the season by catching a combined no-hitter from Randy Vasquez and Carson Coleman that gave Somerset the Eastern League title.
  
  Scouting Report: Wells' profile is almost entirely driven by his bat, which has proved potent at every level. He combines excellent knowledge of the strike zone with brute strength and a lofted swing path designed to hit balls hard and in the air, which raised his fly ball plus line drive rate to nearly 50%. Wells also worked with the Yankees to adjust his bat path to reduce in his in-zone whiff rate, which was around 20% in 2022, an improvement of 11% from 2021. Wells' hands aren't the most mobile, but scouts still saw the ability to punish line drives to all sectors. One scout noted that he was strong enough to turn a 100 mph fastball into a home run the opposite way off the left-field foul pole. Defensively, Wells is not likely to be an average defender, but he's worked diligently and has improved his catching by quite a bit. He's improved his overall arm strength but could make further improvements by cleaning up his footwork and shortening his release. His pop times are usually between 2.00 and 2.15 seconds.
  
  The Future: Wells' next step is likely Triple-A, and he could make his big league debut at some point in 2023. He has the look of a masher who is passable behind the plate.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Speed: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #5 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: The Yankees drafted Wells out of high school in 2018 and again in the first round in 2020 when he was a draft-eligible sophomore at Arizona. The coronavirus pandemic cost Wells most of his final collegiate season and limited him to remote training during the regular season. In his pro debut in 2021, he showed hitting ability, power and patience and produced one of the best overall years in the system as he moved from Low-A to High-A.
  
  Scouting Report: Wells shows a smooth, loose, repeatable swing capable of producing loud contact to all sectors. He expertly manages the strike zone, which shows up in his strikeout and walk totals, although those numbers were somewhat buttressed by spending the first part of the season in Low-A Southeast, which used automated balls and strikes. The Yankees did tweak Wells’ approach to make him more aggressive in two-strike counts. With his swing, strength and approach, he projects to be a plus hitter with average power. Few outside the organization believe Wells can stick behind the plate as a catcher. His lack of twitchiness, struggles blocking pitches and well below-average arm strength make him a below-average defender. Even if he moves off catcher, he has the bat to profile at either first base or left field.
  
  The Future: Wells will head to Double-A in 2022. Regardless of what position he ends up at, he has a chance to be the impact lefthanded hitter the Yankees have lacked in recent years.
  
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #5 prospect in 2021
  Hitting: 60. Power: 55. Run: 50. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.
  Track Record: Wells attended Las Vegas high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman, then matriculated to Arizona, where his father played. Wells was a draft-eligible sophomore who produced with the Wildcats following a standout summer in the Cape Cod League. The Yankees, who drafted Wells in the 35th round in 2018, saw fit to pick him again at No. 28 overall and signed him for $2.5 million.
  
  Scouting Report: The Yankees covet lefthanded power, which Wells has in ample supply. He has a strong frame, a simple swing and outstanding knowledge of the strike zone that helped him register more walks (46) than strikeouts (43) in college. He projects to hit for both average and power and be a potential middle-of-the-order hitter. The Yankees believe Wells can remain at catcher, but they’re in the minority. He has trouble blocking pitches and isn’t particularly mobile behind the plate, and his long history of elbow troubles leads to fringy arm strength at best. The Yankees see a strong receiver who could benefit from the organization’s new one-knee philosophy installed by big league catching coordinator Tanner Swanson.
  
  The Future: Wells will get pro instruction for the first time in 2021. Even if he can’t stick at catcher, his bat should help him move quickly up the system. .

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #21 prospect in 2020 draft
  Picked by the Yankees in the 35th round in 2018 out of perennial high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Wells instead chose to follow in his father Greg's footsteps by heading to Arizona. A draft-eligible sophomore, Wells posted loud numbers in both seasons with the Wildcats as well as last summer in the Cape Cod League. Wells has an outstanding approach at the plate with plus raw power, using a simple swing with good bat control. He walked more than he struck out both years at Arizona, impressive for any hitter but especially for a power hitter. A hole in his swing gives him problems with pitches away, but that’s a fixable problem. Wells' bat is impressive enough that most teams view him as a first-rounder, but questions remain as to where he fits best on the field. If he could stay behind the plate, he’d be a certain first-round pick, but there are more scouts who are skeptical of Wells’ receiving ability than think he can make it as a catcher. He has trouble blocking and receiving pitches, especially knee to knee on his glove side, and he has a record of elbow issues dating back to high school. An arm that once earned plus grades is now frequently below-average. Wells focused heavily on improving his defense over the offseason, but he didn’t have much opportunity to showcase the results in a shortened 2020 season. He’s seen time at both first base and all three outfield positions since leaving high school. Some observers believe Wells is athletic enough to handle the outfield and that his range and instincts can be developed, while others think he’s not twitchy enough for the outfield and doesn’t have the footwork for first base. He is an average runner. If concerns with his defense cause Wells’ draft position to drop more than expected, he's got the leverage to return to Arizona for his junior year. Lefthanded bats of his quality are typically highly sought after.
• Ranked #206 prospect in 2018 draft
  Wells is a physical, lefthanded-hitting catcher with arm strength and obvious catch-and-throw talent. The only problem is that he hasn't thrown much dating back to last summer. An Under Armour All-American, Wells was slated to catch at least part of the game, but couldn't after dealing with an elbow injury. The issue has persisted into the spring and scouts haven't been able to see him throw much at all. He's tried to rest the arm and he also had a platelet rich plasma injection to try and sort out the issue. When healthy, Wells has previously shown above-average arm strength with accuracy to second base in the 2.00-second range--major league average for a pop time. He has a lot of strength in his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame with above-average power and a chance for even more. Scouts praise his baseball IQ and intelligence, and coaches who have been around him admire his professional approach to the game and confidence in all areas. He would have been significantly higher up the board if healthy, and teams might prefer to let him get campus at Arizona, where his father, Greg, also played college baseball. If he's fully healthy and able to start throwing again, then he has all the tools you want to see out of a prep catcher.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #70 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #75 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #94 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: The Yankees were on Wells for much of his amateur career, having drafted him out of high school in 2018 and then again in 2020, when he was an eligible sophomore at Arizona. Since turning pro, Wells has done nothing but hit as he's climbed from Low-A to Double-A. He was limited to just 92 games in 2022 because of a ruptured testicle that cost him a chunk of time at midseason. He moved to Double-A upon return from the injury and showed an excellent combination of power and on-base skills. He finished the season by catching a combined no-hitter from Randy Vasquez and Carson Coleman that gave Somerset the Eastern League title.
  
  Scouting Report: Wells' profile is almost entirely driven by his bat, which has proved potent at every level. He combines excellent knowledge of the strike zone with brute strength and a lofted swing path designed to hit balls hard and in the air, which raised his fly ball plus line drive rate to nearly 50%. Wells also worked with the Yankees to adjust his bat path to reduce in his in-zone whiff rate, which was around 20% in 2022, an improvement of 11% from 2021. Wells' hands aren't the most mobile, but scouts still saw the ability to punish line drives to all sectors. One scout noted that he was strong enough to turn a 100 mph fastball into a home run the opposite way off the left-field foul pole. Defensively, Wells is not likely to be an average defender, but he's worked diligently and has improved his catching by quite a bit. He's improved his overall arm strength but could make further improvements by cleaning up his footwork and shortening his release. His pop times are usually between 2.00 and 2.15 seconds.
  
  The Future: Wells' next step is likely Triple-A, and he could make his big league debut at some point in 2023. He has the look of a masher who is passable behind the plate.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Speed: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: The Yankees were on Wells for much of his amateur career, having drafted him out of high school in 2018 and then again in 2020, when he was an eligible sophomore at Arizona. Since turning pro, Wells has done nothing but hit as he's climbed from Low-A to Double-A. He was limited to just 92 games in 2022 because of a ruptured testicle that cost him a chunk of time at midseason. He moved to Double-A upon return from the injury and showed an excellent combination of power and on-base skills. He finished the season by catching a combined no-hitter from Randy Vasquez and Carson Coleman that gave Somerset the Eastern League title.
  
  Scouting Report: Wells' profile is almost entirely driven by his bat, which has proved potent at every level. He combines excellent knowledge of the strike zone with brute strength and a lofted swing path designed to hit balls hard and in the air, which raised his fly ball plus line drive rate to nearly 50%. Wells also worked with the Yankees to adjust his bat path to reduce in his in-zone whiff rate, which was around 20% in 2022, an improvement of 11% from 2021. Wells' hands aren't the most mobile, but scouts still saw the ability to punish line drives to all sectors. One scout noted that he was strong enough to turn a 100 mph fastball into a home run the opposite way off the left-field foul pole. Defensively, Wells is not likely to be an average defender, but he's worked diligently and has improved his catching by quite a bit. He's improved his overall arm strength but could make further improvements by cleaning up his footwork and shortening his release. His pop times are usually between 2.00 and 2.15 seconds.
  
  The Future: Wells' next step is likely Triple-A, and he could make his big league debut at some point in 2023. He has the look of a masher who is passable behind the plate.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 55. Speed: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Midseason Update: Wells missed a chunk of time in the middle of the season with a ruptured testicle but has since returned to action after a rehab with Low-A Tampa.
  
  Track Record:
  
  Wells has long been on the Yankees&#39 radar. The team drafted him out of high school in 2018, then again in 2020 when he was an eligible sophomore at Arizona. The allure both times was a hitter who could provide immense offensive value from the left side as well as a chance to remain behind the plate. The pandemic cost Wells most of his final collegiate season and limited him to remote training during the regular season. In his pro debut, he showed hitting ability, power and patience and produced one of the best overall years in the system.
  
  Scouting Report: Wells came as advertised at the plate. He showed a smooth, loose, repeatable swing capable of producing loud contact to all sectors. Inside and outside evaluators were also pleased with the way Wells managed the strike zone, which showed up in his strikeout and walk totals, though they were somewhat buttressed by spending the first part of the season in Low-A Southeast, which used automated balls and strikes. The Yankees did tweak his approach to make him more aggressive in two-strike counts. There are few outside the organization who believe Wells can stick behind the plate. Those scouts point to a lack of twitchiness, struggles blocking pitches and well below-average arm strength that plays up a touch because of a quick release. Even so, Wells threw out just 13% of basestealers. Even if he moves off catcher, he has the bat to profile at either first base or left field.
  
  The Future: Wells got extra reps in the Arizona Fall League, but his next step will come when he gets his first try at the upper levels.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 60. Power: 50. Speed: 50. Fielding: 40. Arm: 40.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Yankees drafted Wells out of high school in 2018 and again in the first round in 2020 when he was a draft-eligible sophomore at Arizona. The coronavirus pandemic cost Wells most of his final collegiate season and limited him to remote training during the regular season. In his pro debut in 2021, he showed hitting ability, power and patience and produced one of the best overall years in the system as he moved from Low-A to High-A.
  
  Scouting Report: Wells shows a smooth, loose, repeatable swing capable of producing loud contact to all sectors. He expertly manages the strike zone, which shows up in his strikeout and walk totals, although those numbers were somewhat buttressed by spending the first part of the season in Low-A Southeast, which used automated balls and strikes. The Yankees did tweak Wells’ approach to make him more aggressive in two-strike counts. With his swing, strength and approach, he projects to be a plus hitter with average power. Few outside the organization believe Wells can stick behind the plate as a catcher. His lack of twitchiness, struggles blocking pitches and well below-average arm strength make him a below-average defender. Even if he moves off catcher, he has the bat to profile at either first base or left field.
  
  The Future: Wells will head to Double-A in 2022. Regardless of what position he ends up at, he has a chance to be the impact lefthanded hitter the Yankees have lacked in recent years.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 60. Power: 55. Run: 50. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.
  Track Record: Wells attended Las Vegas high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman, then matriculated to Arizona, where his father played. Wells was a draft-eligible sophomore who produced with the Wildcats following a standout summer in the Cape Cod League. The Yankees, who drafted Wells in the 35th round in 2018, saw fit to pick him again at No. 28 overall and signed him for $2.5 million.
  
  Scouting Report: The Yankees covet lefthanded power, which Wells has in ample supply. He has a strong frame, a simple swing and outstanding knowledge of the strike zone that helped him register more walks (46) than strikeouts (43) in college. He projects to hit for both average and power and be a potential middle-of-the-order hitter. The Yankees believe Wells can remain at catcher, but they're in the minority. He has trouble blocking pitches and isn't particularly mobile behind the plate, and his long history of elbow troubles leads to fringy arm strength at best. The Yankees see a strong receiver who could benefit from the organization's new one-knee philosophy installed by big league catching coordinator Tanner Swanson.
  
  The Future: Wells will get pro instruction for the first time in 2021. Even if he can't stick at catcher, his bat should help him move quickly up the system. .
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 60. Power: 55. Run: 50. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.
  Track Record: Wells attended Las Vegas high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman, then matriculated to Arizona, where his father played. Wells was a draft-eligible sophomore who produced with the Wildcats following a standout summer in the Cape Cod League. The Yankees, who drafted Wells in the 35th round in 2018, saw fit to pick him again at No. 28 overall and signed him for $2.5 million.
  
  Scouting Report: The Yankees covet lefthanded power, which Wells has in ample supply. He has a strong frame, a simple swing and outstanding knowledge of the strike zone that helped him register more walks (46) than strikeouts (43) in college. He projects to hit for both average and power and be a potential middle-of-the-order hitter. The Yankees believe Wells can remain at catcher, but they’re in the minority. He has trouble blocking pitches and isn’t particularly mobile behind the plate, and his long history of elbow troubles leads to fringy arm strength at best. The Yankees see a strong receiver who could benefit from the organization’s new one-knee philosophy installed by big league catching coordinator Tanner Swanson.
  
  The Future: Wells will get pro instruction for the first time in 2021. Even if he can’t stick at catcher, his bat should help him move quickly up the system. .
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 60. Power: 55. Run: 50. Fielding: 40. Arm: 45.
  Track Record: Wells attended Las Vegas high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman, then matriculated to Arizona, where his father played. Wells was a draft-eligible sophomore who produced with the Wildcats following a standout summer in the Cape Cod League. The Yankees, who drafted Wells in the 35th round in 2018, saw fit to pick him again at No. 28 overall and signed him for $2.5 million.
  
  Scouting Report: The Yankees covet lefthanded power, which Wells has in ample supply. He has a strong frame, a simple swing and outstanding knowledge of the strike zone that helped him register more walks (46) than strikeouts (43) in college. He projects to hit for both average and power and be a potential middle-of-the-order hitter. The Yankees believe Wells can remain at catcher, but they’re in the minority. He has trouble blocking pitches and isn’t particularly mobile behind the plate, and his long history of elbow troubles leads to fringy arm strength at best. The Yankees see a strong receiver who could benefit from the organization’s new one-knee philosophy installed by big league catching coordinator Tanner Swanson.
  
  The Future: Wells will get pro instruction for the first time in 2021. Even if he can’t stick at catcher, his bat should help him move quickly up the system. .