2020 MLB Draft Scouting Report: C Austin Wells
TEAM: New York Yankees (Round: 1.28)
Here's what you need to know about Austin Wells:
Wells is a player so nice, the Yankees drafted him twice. He was the team's 35th-round pick out of Bishop Gorman HS in Las Vegas (alma mater of Joey Gallo, among others), but he turned them down to go to Arizona.
Good move, as Wells, who was draft-eligible as a sophomore because he turns 21 within 45 days of the Draft (July 12), crushed it as a freshman and had a strong showing in the Cape Cod League to end up jumping more than 1,000 spots.
Measurables: 6'2"/220, Bats Left/Throws Right
School: University of Arizona; Bishop Gorman HS (Las Vegas, NV)
Career Stats: Wells hit .375 with an OPS of 1.116 in 15 games in an abbreviated sophomore season, only a "slight" improvement over his .353 and 1.114 marks in 56 games as a freshman, when he set several Arizona freshman records and became the only Wildcat frosh to score 60 runs and notch 60 RBI in the same season. Also raked in the 2019 Cape Cod League, hitting .308 for Yarmouth-Dennis and ranking third on the circuit with seven home runs.
Accolades: Consensus Top 50 prospect in the 2020 Draft; 2020 Preseason Second Team All-American; 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year (first Wildcat ever to win that award); 2019 consensus First Team Freshman All-American; 2019 Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention; 2019 Cape Cod League Outstanding Pro Prospect Award; 2019 Cape Cod League All-Star; two-time All-State selection and 2017 Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year in high school
Strengths:
- Lefty bat with power to all fields and a swing tailored to Yankee Stadium.
- Excellent eye – finished college career with more walks than strikeouts
Weaknesses:
- Only adequate behind the plate; future may lie at first base or in the outfield.
- Size may also factor into his future being elsewhere
Minutia:
- Parents were both athletes at Arizona; dad Greg played baseball, while mom Michelle was a gymnast
- Younger brother Carson is a 2020 draft prospect out of high school
Tape:
Player Comparison: Kyle Schwarber
