Austin Wells is slumping, and he’s the bat the New York Yankees desperately need to wake up in 2026. Wells is off to a brutal .167 start at the plate, and an MLB insider has fading confidence in him, with pinch-hit whispers already creeping in. What can the Yankees expect from Wells and the bottom of the order?
New York Yankees Catcher Austin Wells Slumping in 2026
MLB Insider Joel Sherman is a bit worried about the slow start of New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells. The Yankees are off to a blazing start despite minimal offensive contribution from Wells. Sherman discussed Wells and the New York Yankees on his “Pinstripe Post” show.
“Wells is the issue for me. I made this point about (Ben) Rice and Wells in the past, and Rice has turned out to be good. When you make good swing decisions, you generally end up being a good offensive player. Trent Grisham makes good swing decisions. He lays off the bad pitches. He swings at what he should,” Sherman said.
“Will the power fully blossom there? I don’t know. (Ryan) McMahon makes good swing decisions, and he just doesn’t hit balls in the zone. Rice, even when he was struggling, I kept saying, the swing decisions are great and when he squares the ball, it really goes. And now we’ve seen the full flowering of what that means,” added Sherman.
Do the New York Yankees Have an Austin Wells Problem?
Austin Wells has been brutal early. We’re talking 4-for-24 at the plate — a .167 batting average with zero extra-base hits and zero RBIs through eight games. For a guy who clubbed 21 home runs and drove in 71 runs last season, that’s an ice-cold start by any measure.
Wells hit just .219 in 2025, so it’s not like the batting average was ever his calling card. The power was. And right now, there’s none of it. Zero home runs, zero doubles, zero triples — just four singles and a whole lot of nothing.
Here’s the reality the Yankees can’t escape: Wells is far and away the best overall catcher on this roster. When you factor in the offensive upside — the 21-homer pop, the left-handed bat in that lineup — he’s clearly the most well-rounded option behind the plate.
“The earliest versions of Wells were really good swing decisions into well-hit balls when he hit them. That has felt like it’s backed up a little bit. He hit so great in the WBC — I thought, well, maybe he’s ready for the full breakout,” Sherman said.
“For someone who I would’ve bought stock that the offense will come, I’ve lost a little faith that the offense will come. I’m not completely off of that ship because I still think there’s an offensive player in him. I’m starting a little bit to lose faith. And again, that will be the thing where you have to make the decision — does he become a guy you pinch hit for late?”
It’s only April, but Wells is under pressure to perform in the Bronx.
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