Austin Wells

Active

New York Yankees · C

Age 276' 1" · 220 lbsBats Left

#695 Current#226 Preseason

FBaseball Overview

At 26 years old, Wells enters 2026 as the Yankees' primary catcher despite a troubling start that has seen his batting average plummet to .155 through early action. The power remains present with 4 home runs already, but the dramatic collapse in average and overall production compared to his 2025 campaign—when he hit .219 with 21 homers and 71 RBIs—signals serious swing mechanics issues that need correction. Managers rostering Wells are banking on regression toward his 2025 form, as catchers with his potential upside are scarce, but the early-season struggles warrant caution until he demonstrates the ability to regain his approach at the plate. His role as the everyday backstop keeps his ceiling high, though his current trajectory makes him a high-risk hold in 2026 fantasy lineups.

News Updates

Austin Wells Attributes Performance Issues to Head Blows
Yankees catcher Austin Wells stated that multiple blows to the head during the season affected his offensive production in the first half. His acknowledgment of injury-related performance decline provides context for fantasy evaluations.
Oct 23, 2026
Austin Wells cites multiple head injuries affecting production
Yankees catcher Austin Wells believes that the cumulative effect of multiple blows to the head negatively impacted his offensive production during the 2026 season's first half. His comments highlight potential lingering concussion concerns heading into the offseason. Fantasy owners should monitor his health status and any medical clearance before the 2027 season.
Oct 22, 2026
Wells attributes early struggles to repeated head injuries
Catcher Austin Wells of the Yankees revealed that he believes multiple blows to the head during the season impacted his performance in the first half. Wells cited the cumulative effect of these injuries as a factor in his production decline.
Oct 21, 2026

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2023	New York Yankees	19	75	70	.229	4	13	8	0	14	.257	.486	.743
2024	New York Yankees	115	414	354	.229	13	55	42	1	87	.322	.395	.717
2025	New York Yankees	126	448	401	.219	21	71	51	5	118	.275	.436	.711
2026	New York Yankees	122	388	334	.186	14	32	39	4	103	.292	.332	.624
Career	Totals	382	1325	1159	.213	52	171	140	10	322	.294	.397	.691

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2021	2 teams▼	103	469	382	.264	16	76	82	16	117	.390	.476	.866
2022	3 teams▼	92	402	336	.277	20	65	60	16	90	.385	.512	.897
2023	3 teams▼	96	429	371	.240	17	72	46	7	97	.333	.442	.775
2026	Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders	3	14	12	.167	2	3	2	0	4	.286	.667	.953
Career	Totals	294	1314	1101	.259	55	216	190	39	308	.369	.478	.847

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Last Week / Last Month

Current season · MLB only

7 games

G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
7	24	17	.294	2	2	4	1	4	.500	.647	1.147

30 games

G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
30	97	78	.218	6	15	13	2	28	.361	.462	.823

Game Log2026 MLB

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Advanced Stats2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg89.3 mph

Max EV110.5 mph

Launch Angle20.5°

Barrel %7.7%

K %26.5%

Hard Hit %42.7%

Sprint Speed26.1 ft/s

Bat Speed72.8 mph

Whiff %27.9%

Chase %28.0%

xBA0.211

xSLG0.363

xwOBA0.302

GB%33.3%

FB%34.2%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Bat Speed — Average swing speed at the point of contact. Faster bat speed lets hitters wait longer on pitches and generates more raw power potential.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Loading player data...

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2023

New York Yankees

.229

.257

.486

.743

2024

New York Yankees

115

414

354

.229

.322

.395

.717

2025

New York Yankees

126

448

401

.219

118

.275

.436

.711

2026

New York Yankees

122

388

334

.186

103

.292

.332

.624

Career

Totals

382

1325

1159

.213

171

140

322

.294

.397

.691

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2021

2 teams▼

103

469

382

.264

117

.390

.476

.866

2022

3 teams▼

402

336

.277

.385

.512

.897

2023

3 teams▼

429

371

.240

.333

.442

.775

2026

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

.167

.286

.667

.953

Career

Totals

294

1314

1101

.259

216

190

308

.369

.478

.847

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

.294

.500

.647

1.147

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

.218

.361

.462

.823