Austin Wells is still starting behind the plate for the Yankees, even as his bat and receiving work have come under fresh scrutiny after a prolonged slump this season.
Through May 2026, Wells was slashing.165/.287/.252 with three home runs, five RBIs, 20 walks and a career-worst 53 OPS+, Sports Illustrated reported, and The Sporting News counted him at.173 with 32 strikeouts in 110 at-bats and a.264 slugging percentage. Those numbers sit uncomfortably next to his place in the lineup: the team continues to hand him the everyday catching job.
The statistical picture is sharp. Sports Illustrated flagged the low slash line and the 53 OPS+ as evidence the Yankees lack production from the position, while The Sporting News highlighted the 32 strikeouts in 110 at-bats and Wells’ diminished power (.264 slugging) as signs his bat has regressed. The Sporting News also relayed a voice in the building — Chris Landers — who said his own faith in Wells has been tested by what he called a clear downturn in both offense and the defensive game-calling that had been a Wells strength.
At the same time, outlets looking for short-term upgrades have suggested possible remedies. Sports Illustrated wrote that the Yankees would likely prefer a right-handed bat if they pursued another catcher and specifically named Christian Vázquez as the sort of veteran they should test in trade conversations. Vázquez, who has shared catching duties with Yanier Diaz, is slashing.247/.316/.393 through 31 games with three home runs, 14 RBIs and nine walks in 89 at-bats, and Sports Illustrated flagged his.320 rOBA, a perfect fielding percentage and two catcher framing runs that rank 13th-best among 58 qualified catchers.
The context tightens the choices. A move for an established right-handed catcher would address a clear hole; Ryan Jeffers, a natural candidate, is out six to eight weeks with a fractured hand and therefore unavailable. Internally, the Yankees have shuffled pieces in recent weeks — bringing up Spencer Jones and optioning Anthony Volpe before Jose Caballero suffered an injury — but the club has not pushed an obvious internal replacement into the everyday catching role.
That gap is the point of friction. The Sporting News quoted Chris Landers arguing that Wells’ decline is undeniable and that it ought to force a redistribution of playing time: give JC Escarra more opportunities and consider adding a right-handed catcher on the margins. Landers said he’s been a long-time defender of Wells, but that the facts now point the other way. At the same time, general manager Brian Cashman has denied that the Yankees are being more aggressive than in previous years, according to The Sporting News, leaving it unclear how bold the club will be in addressing the position.
There are also market constraints. Sports Illustrated noted the Astros were 11 games under.500 as of Thursday afternoon, a detail that matters because it affects which veterans might be available and how their teams value midseason trades. Sports Illustrated’s call to test the waters on Vázquez reads as a near-term, low-risk option if the Yankees want a righty who can handle pitchers and provide a modest offensive lift.
For now, Wells remains the starter. But the confluence of underwhelming numbers, outside commentary urging more Escarra opportunities, and explicit suggestions that the Yankees seek a right-handed catcher makes his everyday status tenuous. Expect the club to at least explore the market and to give Escarra a larger role sooner rather than later; if those moves do not materialize, Wells’ poor production will leave the Yankees forced into harder choices at a position they can ill afford to leave unsolved.
