The MLB season ended without the New York Yankees winning a ring, but catcher Austin Wells is getting something much more precious.
The Yankees catcher revealed he and his partner Caroline Nielson are expecting the couple’s first child, via a post on Instagram over the weekend.
Wells, the Yankees’ primary catcher who hit .219/.275/.436 with 21 home runs, 71 RBIs and 51 runs scored in 2025, will turn 27 in July. He split time with both Ben Rice and JC Escarra behind the plate last season.
The Arizona native has played each of his three MLB seasons with the Yankees, who picked him in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft.
Austin Wells and His Partner Revealed New Baby With Photoshoot At Yankee Stadium
The couple unveiled their big news from the field at Yankee Stadium with a personalized baby-sized jersey and their ultrasound picture.
“Our biggest blessing & sweetest surprise. We can’t wait to meet our lil bug 💕,” Nielson captioned the photo montage.
An up-close shot of the ultrasound photo, and mini jersey, was taken from Wells’ primary office at home plate in the Bronx.
The couple has known about the new bundle of joy for weeks and have surely told members of the Yankees — especially since one of the photos in the montage is of Wells pointing to Nielson’s stomach after a home win during the postseason last month.
The Yankees, of course, went 3-4 in the postseason, first defeating the rival Boston Red Sox in three games in the American League Wild Card Series before falling to the eventual AL champion Toronto Blue Jays in four games in the American League Division Series.
Nielson’s birth announcement led to many congratulatory messages from partners of Wells’ Yankees teammates. Starting pitcher Carlos Rodon’s wife Ashley and reliever Devin Williams’ wife Maggie Badock shared congratulatory emojis, and Rice’s partner Sara Falkson offered congratulations too.
“The greatest!!! So happy!! ❤️💕” Falkson shared.
Austin Wells Is Likely To Go On Paternity List At Some Point In The First Half of 2026
Though Nielson did not divulge specifics about how far along she is, or when the new baby is due, Wells is almost certain to miss time during the 2026 season after the baby is born.
The MLB/MLBPA collective bargaining agreement allows players up to three days’ leave to be with their partner for the in-season birth of their child.
So even if Nielson is three months along, that would mean she is due at some point in either May or June — meaning Wells is likely to miss at least three games to be with her in either May, June or July.
Wells, Rice, Escarra, Rodon and the other Yankees pitchers and catchers have about 3.5 months before they need to be in Tampa for spring training, which means Wells can tend to his partner and attend all the important doctors appointments.
The Yankees will start their season on the West Coast, with a pair of three-game series against the San Francisco Giants (March 25-28) and Seattle Mariners (March 29-April 1) before coming back to New York for their home opener at Yankee Stadium against the Miami Marlins on April 3.
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