New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at Tropicana Field. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The New York Yankees are firing on all cylinders as April slowly wraps up.
Despite a hiccup or two, the Yankees are firmly back in the World Series conversation, boasting a six-game win streak and an American League-leading 16-9 record as of Friday afternoon. That said, there are still some New York players who aren’t living up to expectations , making it interesting to see whether manager Aaron Boone will make any changes or accept the status quo.
Austin Wells is one Yankee who fits the bill, as he’s left much to be desired. After slashing .219/.275/.436 with 21 home runs, 71 RBs, 30 walks and a 94 OPS+ in 126 games last season, the 26-year-old catcher is off to an anemic offensive start in 2026. It doesn’t help that his defensive decisions have also come under fire, most recently proven by Thursday’s decision vs. the Boston Red Sox to challenge what was clearly a ball.
The Yankees have a fantastic roster, but Wells’s struggles will limit how far they go, both game by game and season-long. It’ll be in Boone’s best interest to solve New York’s catcher situation before it compounds into an even bigger headache, and one way to do that would be by giving fellow backstop J.C. Escarra a longer leash.
J.C. Escarra deserves more playing time as Austin Wells struggles
Escarra joined the Yankees’ minor league system in 2024, eventually working up to the big league level last season. His efforts were good enough to secure the backup catcher job this spring; however, going hitless in his first five outings (12 plate appearances) left New York fans to wonder if they had two catchers to worry about.
It’s a tiny sample size, but Escarra has shown signs of life over the last week or so. He has three hits with as many RBIs in eight PAs across his last two games before Friday, which include a double and a triple. It remains to be seen how long his hot streak will last, but it is encouraging to see the 31-year-old veteran getting hot when the Yankees need the help.
Escarra’s left-handed bat is one reason there might be some pause to make him an everyday option. At the same time, Escarra has actually done a solid job of handling southpaw pitchers during his early MLB career. In fact, he hits better against lefties than he does righties, proven by the table below:
| Statistic | vs. LHP | vs. RHP |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 13 | 40 |
| Plate appearances | 19 | 99 |
| At-bats | 18 | 85 |
| Hits | 6 | 14 |
| Home runs | 0 | 2 |
| RBIs | 3 | 12 |
| Strikeouts | 5 | 15 |
| Walks | 1 | 11 |
| Slash line | .333/.368/.444 | .165/.263/.306 |
| OPS | .813 | .569 |
Meanwhile, Wells is only slashing .205/.271/.330 against left-handed pitchers throughout his career, and that number has only worsened this season (.111/.194/.111).
It’s becoming harder to justify playing him over Escarra, regardless of which direction the pitches are coming in from, and that will only become more difficult as Wells’s woes persist.
What other catching options do the Yankees have?
If the Yankees somehow decide that Escarra should start and they want to move on from Wells, the natural question among fans will be about who will become the next backup. After all, it would be ideal for New York to have a right-handed backstop who can efficiently knock the ball into the field.
Budding star Ben Rice has catcher experience, but he’s a lefty and provides too much value at first base—especially with fellow 1B Paul Goldschmidt dealing with his own struggles. Veteran C Ali Sánchez is in the minors; however, he hasn’t hit a home run in 120 career ABs, while Payton Henry isn’t doing much with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and hasn’t played an MLB game since 2022.
Without many internal options to turn to, the Yankees could also consider the trade market for help.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing has been attracting trade buzz and would help the Yankees right away, but trading for him would be easier said than done. He’s also left-handed, which would be redundant if New York plans to keep Escarra in the Majors.
A more appropriate target could be Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers. Minnesota is back to being under .500 again (12-13) and could look to offload Jeffers’s expiring contract in a season where he’s racked up three homers, 16 RBIs and 13 walks while batting .267 with a career-best .899 OPS through 19 games (75 PAs).
Wells has three more years of team control (beyond 2026) on his contract, but that doesn’t mean that the Yankees should stick with what isn’t working. Rolling with Escarra as the starting option until another backstop is acquired makes a ton of sense, especially since stabilizing the home plate situation will be key to any championship hopes.
The Yankees know what they must do, and only time will tell how long it will take for them to do it.
