Yankees rest Austin Wells in key game as Rookie of the Year hopes build

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Austin Wells is not in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Royals. After starting the first game of the series and making five consecutive starts, Wells will take a seat on the bench for the finale. Jose Trevino will handle catching duties and bat ninth for the Yankees.

Yankees’ Austin Wells surges in AL Rookie of the Year race

At the beginning of the season, Luis Gil appeared to be the Yankees’ top contender for AL Rookie of the Year, thanks to his dominant pitching performances. However, with standout showings from players like Colton Cowser, Wilyer Abreu, and relievers Mason Miller and Cade Smith, it looked like the competition for the award was fierce. Then, Austin Wells emerged as a strong candidate. Despite hitting just two home runs in his first 48 games, Wells has caught fire, becoming the AL leader in fWAR (3.6) and Fielding Run Value (11).

Austin Wells has quickly become one of the best catchers in baseball, combining excellent defense with solid offensive contributions. He currently leads AL rookies in Fielding Run Value (+11) and has a 120 wRC+, a rare combination for a catcher. His daily playing time has given him an edge over other rookies, as he continues to outshine players like Colton Cowser and Wilyer Abreu, particularly because of the defensive importance of the catcher position.

Though Abreu has been a stronger hitter and Cowser leads in volume, Austin Wells’ defense places him ahead in terms of impact. His framing skills, which are crucial for catchers, give him an added advantage, even if other metrics like Baseball-Reference WAR don’t value framing as much.

While Austin Wells is now the frontrunner for the award, the race is still open. Both Colton Cowser and Wilyer Abreu have strong cases, and Luis Gil, another Yankees standout, remains in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.

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