April 19, 2025
New York Yankees catcher
Austin Wells (illness) will start behind the dish and bat third on Saturday afternoon when the Yankees continue a series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Wells was unable to suit up Friday evening due to food poisoning. However, this illness was quite minor as Wells will make a quick return to the starting nine just a day later. Wells has been in a bit of a slump over his last nine contests. During this stretch, the 25-year-old has held a .185/.214/.407 slash line with one double and one home run. However, over the first seven games of the campaign, Wells hit two long balls and held a strong .833 OPS. This evening, he will face Tampa Bay right-hander
Shane Baz. Baz enters this game holding a stellar 1.42 ERA, and fantasy managers should avoid targeting Wells in DFS.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
April 3, 2025
New York Yankees catcher
Austin Wells will retreat to the bench for Thursday's series finale at Yankee Stadium against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. Rookie
J.C. Escarra is doing the catching for right-hander
Carlos Carrasco and will hit ninth in the batting order against Diamondbacks right-hander
Merrill Kelly. Wells will get his first rest day after starting in each of the team's first five games of 2025. The 25-year-old left-handed-hitting backstop has started his third year with the Yankees by going 4-for-17 with two home runs, a double, three RBI, three walks and three strikeouts in 20 plate appearances. The 29-year-old Escarra will be appearing in just his second major-league game on Thursday and starting his first-ever game in the big leagues. Fantasy managers setting DFS lineups will want to avoid him against Kelly.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
March 25, 2025
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Tuesday that catcher
Austin Wells will hit leadoff on Opening Day on Thursday against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander
Freddy Peralta. Wells has been hitting leadoff against right-handers in Grapefruit League play this spring and has been swinging a hot bat, going 16-for-43 (.372) with six home runs, two doubles, 12 RBI and 11 runs scored in 15 spring games. The 25-year-old former first-rounder (28th overall) in 2020 out of the University of Arizona will surely be hitting lower in the batting order against lefties, but opening the year as the team's leadoff hitter is surely a boost to his fantasy value in 2025. In his first full season in the Bronx in 2024, Wells slashed .229/.322/.395 with a .718 OPS, 13 homers and 55 RBI in 115 games. Fantasy managers should consider him a low-end No. 1 starting catcher.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Talkin' Yanks
February 26, 2025
New York Yankees catcher
Austin Wells is behind the plate and batting fifth for Wednesday's Grapefruit League game versus the St. Louis Cardinals. The Yankees have held Wells back a bit in the early going in spring training to give him a little break after the team advanced to the World Series last fall. They were originally planning to hold him out until March, but the 25-year-old backstop will make his spring debut on Wednesday. After slashing .229/.322/.395 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI in the regular season last year, Wells is fully expected to see the majority of starts behind the plate in the Bronx in 2025. Wells' glove and plate discipline are his strengths, and while he can offer moderate power at the weak catching position, his struggles against lefties will likely keep his upside on the lower end. Consider him a low-end No. 1 catcher/high-end No. 2 option in fantasy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Newsday - Erik Boland
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