New York Yankees former All-Star catcher Jose Trevino recently returned from the injured list. But will Trevino take over starting catching duties, or will that role go to Austin Wells?
According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Wells has “earned” the starting position.
“Wells is expected to get most of the at-bats moving forward,” Hoch wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The clarification was especially necessary since Trevino is expected to start on Friday against the Detroit Tigers. Trevino could potentially earn the starting role once again, but for now it appears that Wells is ahead on the depth chart.
Austin Wells' 2024 performance with Yankees
The 25-year-old has performed fairly well across 83 games played in 2024. Wells is currently slashing .257/.347/.426/.773 across 292 plate appearances. He's also hit nine home runs and 13 doubles. Those are respectable numbers for a catcher.
Wells only played in 19 games in his first MLB season, which came in 2023. He struggled during that span but displayed signs of potential in the Yankees' farm system. Wells has taken advantage of his big league opportunity in 2024, proving to be an MLB-ready catcher.
Again, Wells is only 25 years old. The Yankees likely envision Wells as the catcher of the future.
Jose Trevino's role moving forward
Trevino, 31, was an All-Star in 2022. He was limited to only 55 games played in 2023, however. So far in 2024, the veteran catcher has played in 59 contests.
Trevino will be one of the better backup catchers in baseball. He has slashed .244/.303/.411/.713 in his 186 plate appearances in 2024. That production is better than some starting catchers, so it will certainly work for a backup.
The Yankees have World Series aspirations in 2024. The pitching staff has performed well for the most part. Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have continued to lead the offensive attack. In fact, Judge recently hit his 300th career home run.
Trevino will do everything he can to positively impact the Yankees. For now, though, Wells is expected to be the Yankees' starting catcher.