The New York Yankees are trying to repeat as American League champions this season, but it’s not too early to start thinking about their future. With young, talented players around the league signing extensions, the Yankees might be wise to extend their young catcher.
Austin Wells played in 115 games for the Yankees last season. He hit 13 home runs and had 55 RBIs. The Yankees have been cycling through disappointing catchers since Jorge Posada retired, and Wells has the chance to end that.
He finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year race last season and FanSided’s Stephen Parello urged the Yankees to sign him to an extension.
“Per Baseball Savant, his pitch framing ranked in the 96th percentile in the league last season, to go along with 75th percentile blocking,” wrote Parello. “His control of the run game was more pedestrian, but still respectable, ranking in the 52nd percentile. With that solid defensive foundation, Wells also brings offensive prowess. For a young hitter, he has an advanced eye at the plate, as evidenced by his 11.4% walk rate in 2024, to pair with some pop in his bat, posting a .167 ISO, which ranked ninth among catchers with at least 350 plate appearances.”
Stars like Jackson Merrill, Kristian Campbell, Garrett Crochet and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have all agreed to extensions this year. However, Alejandro Kirk and Cal Raleigh may have set the stage for extensions in the catcher market. Kirk signed a five-year, $58 million deal, while Raleigh signed a six-year, $105 million deal.
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“If the Yankees strike soon, they should be able to lock up Wells to a deal that more closely resembles the Kirk contract,” wrote Parello. “However, if they wait, the price tag will only go up and, given the budding star’s potential, could end up exceeding what Raleigh got.”
More MLB: Yankees urged to sign risky extension with ‘outspoken,’ injury prone All-Star
