Austin Wells enters the 2022 season as a consensus Top 10 prospect in the Yankees organization, ranked as high as No. 4 in the system (and No. 96 in baseball) by MLB Pipeline.
He’ll start the campaign where he ended 2021, at High-A Hudson Valley, looking to build off a strong first pro season that saw him slash .264/.390/.476 with 16 homers in 103 games between two levels.
But one thing he’s working extra hard on? How he plays behind the plate, not just at it.
“Not taking any pitches of behind the plate. That’s when you look back and regret it – trying to limit that and give it my all every pitch,” Wells said Tuesday when asked his goals for the season at the Renegades’ media day. “Every game is an opportunity to improve my consistency catching and hitting. That’s the goal for a lot of people, but it’s why the best of the best are the way they are. Just trying to hone that in and be as consistent as possible.”
He’s got one other important learning tool under his belt to lean on: a stint in the Arizona Fall League last season where he put up a 1.034 OPS and played with some of the best young pitchers in the sport.
“That was amazing, and a lot of fun, and we had a great group of guys which made it even that much better,” Wells said of his Arizona experience. “We had a good team that won a lot, and that talent definitely helped me raise my game as well, so I’m looking forward to bringing that to this year.”
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Wells is excited to be back at Hudson Valley, where he’ll have a new manager who can help him with that defensive side: Tyson Blaser, a former catcher in the Yankees system who is now in his sixth season as a coach, and moves up from the helm of the FCL Yankees.
Blaser was known for his defensive prowess while a Baby Bomber, and Wells knows he and defensive coach Jose Javier – also a former Yankees prospect who is in his fourth season as a defensive coach in the system – can help maximize his potential.
“Very excited. (Blaser) is going to be a great manager, and we worked a lot together in spring training and built a good base, so he’s had a lot of great feedback for me already,” Wells said. “And we have a ton of great catching coaches, and everywhere I’ve been, there’s been someone to give me an extra hand to understand my game behind the plate.”
Part of that, for Wells, is learning how to best interact with his pitchers on a daily basis. Receiving, throwing, and blocking balls are a lot of instinct and situation, but the one thing he knows he can control is how he calls a game.
“Understanding strengths each pitcher has is important, but it’s also important to understand what they have that day, and what they feel comfortable attacking with,” he said. “In the bullpen, playing catch, we have to know what they’re feeling good with, because that’s what we have to go to.
The Renegades’ collection of pitchers on the initial roster contains an interesting mix of prospects past and present; for instance, 2019 No. 38 overall pick T.J. Sikkema is coming back after missing 2020 due to the COVID shutdown and 2021 due to injury, while RHP Matt Sauer – the Yankees’ second-rounder in 2017 – is in his second season back after Tommy John surgery, and then the shutdown, cost him nearly two full years.
“We’re confident our arms are the best arms, and there’s a lot of guys here poised to make jumps this year,” Wells said. “Me and (Carlos Narvaez) are excited to catch those guys, and we’re excited to get going and have them show what they can do.”
There’s one other that Wells is most excited about, too: 2021 eighth-round pick Will Warren, who will make his pro debut this year after not pitching following last year’s draft.
“Will Warren has some really good stuff and excited a lot of people in spring training, so I’m excited to see what he can do here,” Wells said.
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Wells has no numerical goals or expectations in mind this season, saying he only wants to improve off of last season and he’ll let the chips fall where they may.
“I feel like that sets a ceiling, so I want to go past any expectations I may have,” Wells said. “All I can control is how I play. There’s a lot of opportunity up and down the organization for guys to move, so I’m excited for this year and ready to play the best I can every day.”
Even on days where, like at any other job, you’re just not feeling your best, because as Wells said in a parting shot: “Those are the days that count the most.”
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