At least for offensive reasons, Austin Wells had been approaching unplayable territory, and even GM Brian Cashman acknowledged in July the catching position had grown into “an issue, clearly.”
asserted
position → approach → issue
From the start of the season to Aug. 2 — a stretch of four-plus months only interrupted by a June stint on the injured list — the Yankees’ starting catcher owned the worst average (.161) and OPS (.537) in baseball among the 240 hitters who took as many at-bats as he did.
asserted
he → interrupt → bats
Try it freeAnd since the Aug. 3 trade deadline, when the Yankees essentially committed to Wells playing full time as he began to show signs of life, he has been the most played catcher in the sport, squatting for 42 of 47 games and catching 5,779 pitches, both tops in that span.
asserted
he → try → span
“That’s awesome,” said Wells, whose rare days of rest are about to evaporate.
asserted
days → ’ → rest
Starting Tuesday, Wells in all likelihood will be the everyday Yankees catcher for the postseason.
asserted
Wells → start → postseason
If Ali Sánchez catches for one meaningful inning, either something has gone wrong for the Yankees or a game has turned sideways.
asserted
game → catch → Yankees
After Game 162 on Sunday and beginning when the Red Sox visit The Bronx for Game 1 of the wild-card round, Wells will take a knee behind the plate for a maximum of 22 postseason games, and he feels ready for the challenge.
asserted
he → begin → challenge
“I feel solid [physically].
asserted
I → feel → ?
It comes and goes — you take a foul ball to the face, you make a couple of throws in a couple of games, your arm starts hanging a little bit,” Wells said this week.
asserted
Wells → come → games
“But this is how I want it.
asserted
I → want → it
This is where I want to be.”
asserted
I → want → ?
It would have been difficult to envision this is where Wells would be a few months ago.
asserted
Wells → envision → ?
A prospect known for his bat who had been OK offensively — roughly league average — in his first three seasons while showing off a defensive acumen that was far better than expected.
asserted
that → know → acumen
If this season the Yankees expected a jump, what they saw instead was a nosedive.
asserted
saw → expect → what
It kept getting worse.
asserted
It → keep → ?
He was hitting .200 at the end of April, .178 at the end of May, .155 at the end of June.
uncertain
He → hit → June
The team sees the turning point as the 15 days he spent on the IL in June with cervical headaches, time that allowed Wells to physically feel better, and to tweak his swing and generate more loft.
asserted
Wells → see → loft
In the 15 games preceding Cashman’s trade-deadline decision, Wells posted an .886 OPS, demonstrated far better plate discipline (seven walks and eight strikeouts), clubbed three home runs and showed the Yankees enough that the club did not overpay for a starting or a complementary catcher.
asserted
club → precede → starting
The Red Sox, for instance, gave up plenty of prospect capital for Adley Rutschman (who could make those prospects well spent with a few swings in the wild-card series).
uncertain
prospects → give → series
Ryan Jeffers remained in Minnesota.
asserted
Jeffers → remain → Minnesota
The Yankees stuck with Wells and Sánchez, who has been a true backup.
asserted
who → stick → Wells
“You feel like he’s that threat again down there, and that’s massive,” manager Aaron Boone said earlier this month of Wells, who since that Aug. 3 moment of truth has posted a .785 OPS, proving the Yankees’ faith correct.
asserted
faith → feel → OPS
“Feel like I’m seeing the ball well, trying to have good at-bats and turn the lineup over, get on base for the guys at the top,” Wells said Thursday.
asserted
Wells → feel → top
“Do whatever’s necessary to win the game.”
asserted
whatever → do → game
This is where Wells was two years ago, when he started 12 of 14 (and played in all 14) postseason games in his first full season in the majors, which ended with the World Series loss to the Dodgers.
asserted
which → start → Dodgers
This is where Wells was last year, when he started all seven of the Yankees’ games against Boston and Toronto.
asserted
he → start → Boston
He has learned that the wear and tear of October can be ignored.
asserted
wear → learn → October
If he plays every day, he has no time to think about the toll it is taking, which then becomes clear once the offseason starts and his body actually heals.
asserted
body → play → toll
“You just roll with it,” said Wells, who is among the select few Yankees (Cody Bellinger, and perhaps Ben Rice and George Lombard Jr.) who is expected to get everyday run in the playoffs.
asserted
who → roll → playoffs
“Being behind the plate every day — that’s where I want to be.”
asserted
I → ’ → plate
The Aporia
