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Even before Jose Trevino that likely will cost him weeks though manager Aaron Boone said Friday the catcher was recovering better than anticipated Austin Wells had begun performing like the player the Yankees had hoped when they selected him in the first round of the 2020 draft. He shook off a terrible first couple of weeks but still wasnt hitting well into early June. Since then, Wells has been one of the few bright spots in the Yankee lineup, and with Trevino on the injured list and only untested rookie Carlos Narvaez on the roster behind him, the Yankees are counting on that to continue. Its just progre s, Wells said. Youre going to have stretches when you feel bad and when you feel good. For me, its just trying to limit the bad and extend the good. Austin Wells has filled in nicely for Jose Trevino. AP The increased playing time has helped. The more Jamie Langenbrunner Jersey at-bats I get, the better I feel, Wells said. I feel like the more Im seeing teams and seeing arms in the big leagues, the more comfortable Im feeling at the plate. He said hes had the same mentality, even when he was slumping earlier in the year, when he had a .347 OPS after his first 14 games and a still ugly .578 OPS by June 6. Explore More Since that date, Wells has an OPS of .881, as well as a .779 mark in his previous 47 games dating back to April. I wasnt worried at all early on, Wells said. Baseball is such an up-and-down game. I had a pretty big down to start the year, but I feel like Ive done a pretty good job climbing out of there and fighting every at-bat. It sucked and you dont want to start that way, but I was never worried about my ability or the inevitable flow of the game. Wells hasnt hit well against changeups or four-seam fastballs this year and said, I definitely feel like theres room to grow. I know Im capable of doing more. Its only a matter of time before I get better. Austin Wells is starting to live up to the hype that made him the Yankees 2020 first round pick. AP Wells advanced metrics behind the plate are mostly solid. The Yankees have been impre sed by his framing skills, too, which arent quite to Trevinos level but getting close. And hes hoping for an early return from Trevino. Hes a big part of the team, and we want him back as fast as po sible, Wells said. Hes helped the pitching staff so much this year, and getting to work with him has been great. Im looking forward, definitely, to playing more, but Im excited for him to get back. Josh Filmon Jersey |
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