Red-hot Austin Wells gets to play tourist during Yankees' trip to Washington
Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes and catcher Austin Wells, back, celebrate after a game against the Nationals on Monday in Washington. Credit: AP/Nick Wass
WASHINGTON — After homering in the Yankees’ victory over the Nationals on Monday night, Austin Wells knew he wasn’t going to start on Tuesday. So the rookie catcher decided to take in some of the sights of our nation’s capital on his first visit to D.C. as a major leaguer.
“It's a very historical spot, which is cool,” Wells said. “It’s always cool to see the White House. But today, the coolest thing was the (Washington) Monument. So I went over there a little bit. Walked around.”
There are many Yankees fans also walking around the District this week. It’s the Yankees’ first visit for a regular-season game at Nationals Park with fans in the stands since 2018.
Was Wells recognized?
“Oh, no, not today,” Wells said before Tuesday night's 4-2 loss to the Nationals. “I had a hat on. Incognito.”
If Wells continues playing the way he has this season, that might not work in the future.
Wells is in the conversation for American League Rookie of the Year. After entering the Yankees' 4-2 loss on Tuesday as a pinch hitter in the seventh and going 1-for-1 with a walk, the 25-year-old was batting .256 with 10 home runs, 38 RBIs and a .773 OPS.
Wells’ work behind the plate has been stellar. For example, on Monday he picked off Washington’s Juan Yepez at second base for the final out of the fifth inning in the Yankees’ 5-2 victory.
Catcher is supposed to be a defense-first position. Wells’ reputation as a minor-leaguer was that he was an offense-first catcher. Turns out, he’s good at both. He was asked after Monday’s game whether he preferred the homer or the pickoff.
“I like both,” he said. “I think the homer’s probably — I think everybody else probably liked that a little more. But I like both.”
With Gerrit Cole on the mound for the Yankees on Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone started Jose Trevino against lefthander Patrick Corbin. Boone said the lefty-swinging Wells would be in there in Wednesday’s series finale against lefthander MacKenzie Gore. Wells is batting .200 with no home runs and a .521 OPS vs. southpaws.
Wells’ absence in any day’s lineup can cause a meltdown among a certain section of the Yankees’ online fanbase. But catchers do have to get days off. There’s no question Wells is the Yankees’ No. 1 backstop.
“He’s playing against lefties,” Boone said. “But the other guy is really good, too, an All-Star level catcher. He’s going to play some, too. So I feel like we’re just in great hands at that position.”
Ben Rice, the Yankees’ third-string catcher and only other rookie position player, has been playing first base against righthanders. But with Anthony Rizzo (right forearm fracture) progressing in minor-league rehab games, Rice’s time in the majors might be coming to an end by the end of this week.
Rice said he planned to take advantage of being in D.C. with a walk around the historic spots on Wednesday. But when he was told the high temperature was expected to be 97 degrees, Rice said, “Oh, man. I might have to take a rain check on that then.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
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