Austin Wells had a tough season on the plate in 2026, which led to many followers calling for his job, and urging the workforce to amass a brand new catcher.
Yankees followers/insiders/analysts are nonetheless urging for an Austin Wells substitute, however stories recommend that he would be the workforce’s beginning backstop in 2027.
Nonetheless, what followers don’t at all times perceive is that typically the gamers undergo issues throughout the season that might trigger an absence of efficiency.
Nicely, for Austin Wells, he made the admission {that a} sequence of complications derailed the primary half of his 2026 season, and the numbers definitely recommend that the pinnacle damage might have been the basis reason behind his drastic struggles.
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Austin Wells Opens Up on Scary Head Accidents Throughout 2026 Season
Should you bear in mind accurately, Austin Wells needed to be positioned on the IL for ‘cervical complications’ throughout the season, and it was traced again to a foul tip off his facemask in opposition to the Boston Purple Sox, which left him visibly shaken up.
Per New York Yankees’ Brendan Kuty, right here is a few of what Wells stated about his complications:
“I imagine that the end result of a number of blows to the pinnacle positively had one thing happening. Clearly, the complications, the strain that I felt in my head — it’s what it’s.”
Kuty additionally notes that Wells’ struggles by way of the early a part of June had been among the many worst in MLB:
“For the primary three months of the season, Wells was one of many worst hitters in MLB. Among the many 230 hitters with not less than 150 plate appearances by way of June 6, Wells’ 53 wRC+ was No. 222. He hit simply .166 with solely 4 residence runs and 15 RBIs.”
“I believe you take a look at the pattern of two months there and say, ‘That wasn’t me. That wasn’t who I’m,’” Wells stated.
CBSSports.com’s RotoWire employees outlined the timeline of Austin Wells’ head accidents:
“Wells took a foul tip to the masks April 23 and one other one two weeks after that. Whereas he was capable of move concussion testing, the catcher had signs and ultimately landed on the 10-day injured listing in early June with cervical complications. Wells felt wholesome after returning and had a .787 OPS with eight residence runs after the All-Star break (as in comparison with a .504 OPS and 6 residence runs within the first half). The 27-year-old is at present slated to open the 2027 marketing campaign because the Yankees’ high catcher, although it’s attainable the workforce seeks assist from outdoors the group.”
So, maybe Yankees followers had been too arduous on Wells, and in case you don’t agree with that, I’m undecided any ‘common’ American fan would have the ability to endure what Wells did behind the plate, particularly as a result of he was just about the on a regular basis catcher for the Yanks in 2026.
It’s arduous to think about that Austin Wells will immediately have the ability to hit left-handed pitchers, however maybe the complications actually did have a profound influence on his season, and contemplating the very profitable 2025 marketing campaign he had, the 2026 stats simply by no means appeared to make sense.
In 2026, Austin Wells batted .186 with 14 residence runs, 32 RBI, and 62 hits over 122 video games performed.
His bWAR (shockingly) was nonetheless 1.1, which is a testomony to his defensive capacity, however Wells’ OPS+ dropping from 93 to 74 is a drastic drop.
It’s particularly reasonable for Wells to open up on these well being points that he endured, but when he doesn’t carry out significantly better in 2027, New York could don’t have any alternative however to eliminate him.
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