Latest news with #AustinWells
New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Yankees' Austin Wells has big four-RBI night — but still falters in key spot
Access the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Try it free This year has mostly been a struggle for Austin Wells, who began to live up to his promise last season before falling in the latter part of the year. And even on a night when the catcher had perhaps his most productive night of the year, it ended in disappointment in a 10-7 loss to Boston. After Wells kept the Yankees in the game with a three-run homer and an RBI double off tough left-hander Garrett Crochet earlier in the game, the lefty-swinging Wells came up short with a chance to tie it in the bottom of the eighth, when he struck out against former Yankee southpaw Justin Wilson, stranding pinch runner Anthony Volpe at second base to end the inning. 3 Austin Wells rounds the bases after hitting a three-run homer during the second inning of the Yankees' 10-7 loss to the Red Sox on June 7, 2025. Robert Sabo for the NY Post Still, maybe his success against Crochet will spark the lefty-swinging catcher. 'I expect so much of him offensively and think so much of him offensively,' Aaron Boone said. 'He's capable of that right there against the very best left-on-left.' Wells gave the Yankees their lone lead of the night with a three-run blast off Crochet — who had allowed just one homer to a left-handed hitter all season prior to Saturday night. 3 Austin Wells reacts after striking out in the eighth inning of the Yankees' loss to the Red Sox. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST But Wells couldn't coerce another solid start from Ryan Yarbrough, who has been a surprisingly strong revelation since arriving in spring training after opting out of his deal with the Blue Jays in March. After Yarbrough was knocked around for five runs in the top of the third and two more in the fourth, Wells tried to get the Yankees back in the game in the bottom of the fourth, this time with a booming double the other way to left-center. It came again off Crochet, who had also given up only one double to lefties all year. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS 3 Austin Wells celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the Yankees' loss to the Red Sox. Robert Sabo for the NY Post 'I got two pitches to handle,'' said Wells, who is hitting the ball harder than he has previously in his career, but doesn't have a lot to show for it. Although he has 10 homers, his average has hovered slightly above .200 for most of the season. With Carlos Narváez in town with the Red Sox after being traded by the Yankees in the offseason and off to a start that has put him in the conversation for the American League All-Star team, Wells' shaky offensive output has been highlighted more of late. The Yankees are steadfast in their belief that Wells will live up to his potential on offense, as he has continued to impress behind the plate. 'Hopefully it's those little things that kind of get him rolling to where he gets hot,'' Boone said of Wells' at-bats on Saturday.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Yankees' catching strength on full display across all of MLB — with ‘special emphasis' standing out
Access the Yankees beat like never before Don't miss Greg Joyce's text messages from The Bronx and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Yankees. Sign Up Now When the Red Sox arrive in The Bronx on Friday, they will bring a reminder of an unquestioned Yankees strength and a reminder of the decisions that have led to Austin Wells as the Yankees' primary catcher. Carlos Narváez — who signed with the Yankees out of Venezuela in 2015, debuted briefly last year and then was flipped to Boston in December for an interesting, 21-year-old arm in Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international signing bonus pool money — will arrive hitting .288 with an .812 OPS, a strong defensive reputation and a legitimate shot at cracking the AL All-Star team as a rookie. Advertisement He has been everything the Red Sox could have wanted — as has been the case for the Marlins and Agustín Ramírez, who has not looked overmatched by major league pitching in his rookie season after being the best prospect the Yankees gave up for Jazz Chisholm Jr. The branches of the Yankees' catching tree have spread wide.
New York Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Austin Wells has Yankees' first facial hair superstition since beard policy change
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Austin Wells' beard is safe … for at least a few more days. The New York Yankees' first facial hair superstition in their new era of beard tolerance stayed alive with a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night. It clinched a series victory for the Yankees, which meant Wells wouldn't have to break out the Bic. Advertisement Before Opening Day, Wells and catching coach Tanner Swanson made a pact. They would only shave when the team lost a series. 'Hopefully,' Wells said recently, 'we don't lose another series the rest of the year.' They haven't had to shave too often. Especially lately. The Yankees have rattled off seven straight series wins since falling to the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game set in early May. They won their first two games of a three-game set versus the Angels that began Monday. 'I would prefer if (Wells) kept (the beard), but I understand,' starting pitcher Carlos Rodón said. 'He seems to grow a beard within two days. So I guess if he shaves it, it really doesn't matter because it's going to show up pretty quickly.' The Yankees are 34-20, the second-best record in the American League. They're seven games ahead atop the AL East. The Angels fell to 25-29. 'Doing a lot of good things,' manager Aaron Boone said. 'We've won some of these lower-scoring games now, too. It's not like we've just blown teams out over and over. That's been good to see. We've been winning a couple of these tight games, which eluded us a little bit early. But just overall playing good baseball.' Carlos Rodón. Jump Throw. 🤯#RepBX — New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 28, 2025 The win came as Rodón dominated, striking out 10 and issuing zero walks for the first time this season over seven scoreless innings. The Yankees also received solo shots from designated hitter Ben Rice (11 home runs this season) and third baseman Oswald Peraza (three). Shortstop Anthony Volpe contributed an RBI single. Devin Williams earned his first save in a month, but it wasn't easy. He gave up a home run to Yoan Moncada to lead off the ninth. A single, a flyout and another single later, Williams had runners on the corners when Jo Adell grounded into a fielder's choice to shortstop that scored Taylor Ward. Volpe made an excellent stop ranging to his right before firing to second base, where DJ LeMahieu dragged his back foot across the bag to secure the out. The Angels challenged the call, but it was upheld. Advertisement Then pinch hitter Logan O'Hoppe swung at a 3-0 fastball and popped out foul to third base to end the game. It meant Wells and Swanson wouldn't have to worry about razor burn on Wednesday. Wells said he likes having a beard because it helps his catcher's mask sit 'a little nicer on the chin.' 'It doesn't get as irritated,' he said. 'So, that's nice.' The Yankees stunned baseball when they abandoned their nearly 50-year policy banning facial hair Feb. 21. The rule originated with late owner George Steinbrenner, and it was a hot-button topic for fans and players. Some loved it. Some hated it. The team had been considering ending the policy for years, but momentum toward making the change increased after the club traded for reliever Devin Williams, who told the Yankees, including owner Hal Steinbrenner, he wanted to keep his beard. After days of deliberation and conversation, Steinbrenner changed the policy to allow 'well-groomed' beards, the team said in a statement at the time. General manager Brian Cashman immediately had Wells in mind when it happened. 'It looks like Austin Wells probably has to shave twice a day just to comply with the prior setup,' Cashman said at the time. When the Yankees changed the policy, Wells wasn't sure he was going to grow a beard. The Yankees drafted him in 2020. For as long as he was in professional baseball, he was used to shaving during the season and unleashing his beard in the offseason. But there's a difference between keeping a beard and letting it run wild. Wells has kept up trimming it around his neck, off his lip and near his ears. He said he had been packing his trimmer for road trips just in case. Swanson said he looks at the superstition as a 'way to connect with Wellsy.' 'I like to think we have probably as close of a relationship as you can have player-coach,' Swanson said. 'I enjoy spending time with him. We spend more time together than we do with our families. This is one small distraction from the day-in, day-out baseball connection we share. I'm having fun with it.' Advertisement Swanson said Boone recently gave him a friendly reminder to keep his beard a little neater. So Swanson used a straight razor to chisel at it. He hadn't packed a trimmer for the Yankees' three-city jaunt out West. The public reaction to the Yankees' ending the policy was loud when it happened, but Boone said he has been surprised at how quickly beards in the clubhouse have felt normal to him. Even team captain Aaron Judge has allowed himself to grow some scruff. 'You always thought this day might come and people's heads are going to explode and, 'What's it going to be like?'' Boone said. 'It's already gone away pretty quickly, in my view. I don't know how people view it, but I don't think about it.' Rodón has grown a full beard and said he's on the verge of needing to corral it. 'I'm getting there, too,' he said. 'I don't really want to, but I'll have to trim it some.' Max Fried said he loves Wells' superstition. 'Man,' Fried said, 'that's a thick mustache. I think it's more impressive how fast (Wells') beard grew to be able to match that mustache.' 'Tanner's got a good one going, too, now,' Rodón said. 'Hopefully, he keeps it for the rest of the year.' All the Yankees' winning has left Wells with one concern, though. 'I just got to make sure (the beard) doesn't get too out of hand,' he said.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oswald Peraza's RBI double
Oswald Peraza lines an RBI double into left field and brings home Austin Wells to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hanging 10: Yankees erupt for big 5th inning against Rockies to break open tight game
New York Yankees' Austin Wells, left, gesture to the dugout after reaching second base on a double that drove in two runs as Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, right, looks on in the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) New York Yankees' Trent Grisham hits a single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) New York Yankees' Trent Grisham hits a single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) New York Yankees' Austin Wells, left, gesture to the dugout after reaching second base on a double that drove in two runs as Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, right, looks on in the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) New York Yankees' Trent Grisham hits a single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Thursday, May 22, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) DENVER (AP) — The New York Yankees broke open a tight game with a 10-run fifth inning Saturday against the Colorado Rockies. Aaron Judge wasn't even at the heart of it as the Rockies intentionally walked the slugger and later struck him out. Advertisement It matched the biggest frame of the season for the Yankees, who also scored 10 times in the seventh inning against San Diego on May 6. The top of the fifth started with the game tied at 1-apiece. It ended with the Yankees sending 14 batters to the plate, collecting seven hits, drawing three walks, producing two sacrifice flies and reaching on starter Kyle Freeland's throwing error. Things were a lot more comfortable for starter Max Fried with the scored 11-1. The big blows were a pair of two-run doubles from Austin Wells and Trent Grisham. Oswald Peraza also added an RBI double, while Paul Goldschmidt and Anthony Volpe had run-scoring singles. Cody Bellinger and Jasson Domínguez brought in runs with deep fly outs. Colorado used two pitchers in the inning — Freeland and reliever Angel Chivilli. New York's electric inning ended on a strikeout by Judge, who earlier in the game hit his 18th homer of the season. ___ More AP baseball:
