Yankees make their first big move of the 2020 season by signing first-round draft pick, 20-year-old Austin Wells. The Yankees selected Wells, who was ranked 27th on MLB pipeline’s top 200 list, 28th overall. The lefty catcher from Arizona signed for $2.5 million, matching the recommended slot value of that
Austin Wells, U. of Arizona C, signs with Yankees. $2.5M. 28th pick. @JackCurryYES 1st
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 26, 2020
Wells was previously drafted in the 35th round by the 2018 Yankees, but decided to pass on the contract and honor his commitment to University of Arizona. Wells was named PAC-12 freshman of the year after his first season and ended his one and a half years of play with 99 hits, 74 RBI’s and 7 home runs.
Impressive rookie campaign for @wellsius16. 👏
The @ArizonaBaseball catcher led the league AND all Division I freshmen with 72 runs scored, and his .353 BA ranked highest among Power 5 conference freshmen.
Wells is the #Pac12BSB Freshman of the Year. https://t.co/D3pjcfSC7V pic.twitter.com/VXjoT3ODIb
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) May 29, 2019
Scouts seem to love Wells for his offensive power and patience. Wells hits lefty, making the short porch at Yankee stadium a perfect place for him to hit some long shots. His catching profile, on the other hand, is iffy but it looks like he is perfectly capable of shifting to the outfield. Wells could also potentially end up at first base, filling a hole the Yankees seem to constantly have.
Wells broke the news of his signing with a twitter post late Thursday night. He posted pictures of himself decked out in all pinstripes looking ready to go.
Officially a Yankee! ✔️ #GoYanks pic.twitter.com/7JLtqZ29mr
— Austin Wells (@wellsius16) June 26, 2020
Normally, Austin would be expected to make a his Yankee debut within the minor league system either with the Staten Island Yankees or the Charleston River Dogs but that’s not the case this year. Since the minor league system completely shut down, it’s hard to tell where we will see Wells next, although I wouldn’t be shocked to see him on the Yankees practice squad.
