The New York Yankees will kick off the 2025 regular season at home Thursday, and they’ve announced who will be at the top of the order.
As the reigning American League champions prepare to host the Milwaukee Brewers, a lot has changed within the roster compared to the team that reached the World Series for the first time since 2009. Included in those changes is the player manning the leadoff role.
Though that duty belonged mostly to Gleyber Torres and Anthony Volpe last season, the Yankees will begin the 2025 campaign with catcher Austin Wells at the top of the order, manager Aaron Boone announced Tuesday.
This unprecedented move for the organization will mark the first time in team history that a catcher will man the leadoff spot during the regular season.
Wells is coming off a promising rookie campaign in which he finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, eventually giving way to teammate Luis Gil. The left-handed slugger posted 13 home runs, 55 RBI and a 103 OPS+ in 115 games during his rookie campaign.
After Wells took over the starting role in the middle of July last season, he turned in a fantastic rookie campaign. His 2.1 fWAR ranked behind only Milwaukee Brewers star William Contreras (2.7) and Seattle Mariners star Cal Raleigh (2.6), among all MLB catchers from July 12 on.
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He followed that up with a fantastic showing in spring training, working almost exclusively from the leadoff spot. Wells slashed .372/.426/.837/1.263 with six home runs and 12 RBI across 47 plate appearances in 15 games.
With some significant departures and injuries hitting the lineup, the Yankees need Wells to take a major step forward in his second season, and he’ll be doing so in an unprecedented role for the organization.
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