Austin Wells approaches Yankees feat unseen in 122-year franchise history

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The New York Yankees are considering a move unprecedented in their storied 122-year history: placing a catcher atop their batting order.

Austin Wells, entering his second full major league season, has batted leadoff in five consecutive spring training games, including Friday’s 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays where he went 2-for-3 with a home run.

The 25-year-old backstop has never been a leadoff hitter at any point in his baseball career — not in Little League, high school, college in Arizona, or during his professional development. Yet manager Aaron Boone continues experimenting with Wells in a spot traditionally reserved for speedsters and on-base specialists.

Breaking convention for Wells’ on-base potential

“I think he’s going to be a guy in his career that is going to get on base,” Boone said. “That’s my No. 1 criteria for the leadoff spot. I’m not saying I’m going to land on him in the leadoff spot, either. It’s just something that I’m looking at.”

While Wells posted a respectable .322 on-base percentage as a rookie in 2024 (ranking fifth among American League rookies), his consideration for the leadoff role represents a significant departure from baseball orthodoxy. The left-handed hitter batted .229 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs in his debut season.

No catcher has ever led off a game in Yankees franchise history, which spans more than 18,000 contests. The franchise was established in 1901 as the Baltimore Orioles moved to New York in 1903 as the Highlanders, and was renamed the Yankees in 1913.

Strategic Yankees lineup construction

The potential move reflects Boone’s effort to optimize his batting order following offseason personnel changes. Former leadoff options Gleyber Torres and Alex Verdugo, who combined for 73 starts atop the order in 2024, are no longer with the organization.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., acquired from Miami during the offseason, might seem a more conventional choice given his speed and power combination. Chisholm acknowledged the appeal of batting first: “I love hitting in the first inning. Who doesn’t want to get more at-bats? That’s what you grew up liking to do, is hit.”

However, Boone appears inclined to utilize Chisholm’s multi-dimensional talent in the heart of the order, particularly valuable with designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton sidelined by tennis elbow in both arms.

“With the Chisholm-[Anthony] Volpe-[Jasson] Domínguez element, it’s three guys that really run well, that I think are going to steal bases,” Boone explained. “There’s that component to it. I do kind of like Jazz in the middle of the lineup, but again, I’m still flirting with things. We’ll see.”

Practical challenges

The experiment isn’t without logistical hurdles. During road games, Wells would face the unique challenge of leading off the game without having warmed up the starting pitcher beforehand — a traditional catcher responsibility.

Boone remains undeterred: “If he’s the guy that does it the best and profiles the best, it’s not going to stop me. He feels good about that part of it. He has not felt rushed or impacted by it so far.”

For his part, Wells has embraced the unconventional assignment: “It was fun to do it. Yeah, I’ll do it, for sure. Whatever is needed, I’ll do it.”

Rare MLB company

While no Yankee catcher has led off, the practice isn’t entirely without precedent in baseball history. Jason Kendall remains the standard-bearer, having batted leadoff 463 times during his career. More recently, Milwaukee’s William Contreras did so three times during the 2024 season.

Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus, who caught 1,938 games during his playing career, expressed surprise at the franchise’s lack of precedent: “Never? With all of their history? That’s surprising. I could run a little.”

Despite not being known for elite speed, Wells has demonstrated baserunning acumen throughout his career, successfully stealing 40 bases in 43 attempts across minor and major league play.

Opening Day decision looms

With the Yankees set to open their 2025 campaign against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium on March 27, Boone has approximately three weeks to finalize his lineup strategy.

Anthony Volpe, who led the team with 76 leadoff starts in 2024, remains an option, though his .305 on-base percentage last season fell below the threshold typically desired from a table-setter.

If Wells ultimately earns the assignment, he’ll make franchise history while challenging traditional lineup construction philosophies across baseball.

The experiment highlights baseball’s continued evolution toward prioritizing on-base skills over conventional position-based lineup placement — a trend that has accelerated with the proliferation of advanced analytics throughout the sport.

As the Yankees aim to capture their first World Series championship since 2009, Boone’s willingness to break with tradition signals an organization prioritizing production over precedent.

Whether Wells proves the answer to the Yankees’ leadoff question remains to be seen, but his consideration alone demonstrates the changing face of lineup construction in today’s game.

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