![\"MLB](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/austin-wells-e1775518234659.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
MLB insider Joel Sherman says he’s “losing faith” in this Yankee at the plate.<\/p>\n
Austin Wells is slumping, and he\u2019s the bat the New York Yankees<\/a> desperately need to wake up in 2026. Wells is off to a brutal .167 start<\/a> at the plate, and an MLB<\/a> insider has fading confidence<\/a> in him, with pinch-hit whispers<\/a> already creeping in. What can the Yankees expect from Wells and the bottom of the order?<\/p>\n New York Yankees Catcher Austin Wells Slumping in 2026<\/p>\n MLB Insider Joel Sherman is a bit worried about the slow start of New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells. The Yankees are off to a blazing start despite minimal offensive contribution from Wells. Sherman discussed Wells and the New York Yankees on his \u201cPinstripe Post<\/a>\u201d show.<\/p>\n \u201cWells is the issue for me. I made this point about (Ben) Rice and Wells in the past, and Rice has turned out to be good. When you make good swing decisions, you generally end up being a good offensive player. Trent Grisham makes good swing decisions. He lays off the bad pitches. He swings at what he should,\u201d Sherman said.<\/p>\n \u201cWill the power fully blossom there? I don\u2019t know. (Ryan) McMahon makes good swing decisions, and he just doesn\u2019t hit balls in the zone. Rice, even when he was struggling, I kept saying, the swing decisions are great and when he squares the ball, it really goes. And now we\u2019ve seen the full flowering of what that means,\u201d added Sherman.<\/p>\n Do the New York Yankees Have an Austin Wells Problem?<\/p>\n Austin Wells has been brutal early. We\u2019re talking 4-for-24 at the plate \u2014 a .167 batting average with zero extra-base hits and zero RBIs through eight games. For a guy who clubbed 21 home runs and drove in 71 runs last season, that\u2019s an ice-cold start by any measure.<\/p>\n Wells hit just .219 in 2025, so it\u2019s not like the batting average was ever his calling card. The power was. And right now, there\u2019s none of it. Zero home runs, zero doubles, zero triples \u2014 just four singles and a whole lot of nothing.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the reality the Yankees can\u2019t escape: Wells is far and away the best overall catcher on this roster. When you factor in the offensive upside \u2014 the 21-homer pop, the left-handed bat in that lineup \u2014 he\u2019s clearly the most well-rounded option behind the plate.<\/p>\n \u201cThe earliest versions of Wells were really good swing decisions into well-hit balls when he hit them. That has felt like it\u2019s backed up a little bit. He hit so great in the WBC \u2014 I thought, well, maybe he\u2019s ready for the full breakout,\u201d Sherman said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor someone who I would\u2019ve bought stock that the offense will come, I\u2019ve lost a little faith that the offense will come. I\u2019m not completely off of that ship because I still think there\u2019s an offensive player in him. I\u2019m starting a little bit to lose faith. And again, that will be the thing where you have to make the decision \u2014 does he become a guy you pinch hit for late?\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s only April, but Wells is under pressure to perform in the Bronx.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tJustin Carlucci<\/a> brings 13+ years of journalism experience to Heavy. A veteran of multiple industry-leading companies, he has hosted SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio shows and contributed to the New York Post, combining traditional sports and news reporting with expertise in sports betting and fantasy sports. More about Justin Carlucci<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Yankees\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t