TAMPA — Supervisor Aaron Boone has mentioned he can envision “a quantity” of in-house hitters changing into the Yankees leadoff hitter this 12 months.
On Friday, Austin Wells acquired his first crack at hitting first and made it rely.
Wells, who’s a sensible if untraditional choice to emerge because the No. 1 hitter, wanted simply two pitches to claim that he feels snug within the spot.
In his first at-bat atop the order, the younger catcher golfed a 1-0 fastball from righty Jake Bloss over the precise discipline wall for his first dwelling run of the spring to start Friday’s 6-3 win over the Blue Jays at Steinbrenner Subject.
“I’ve by no means actually led off ever in my life,” Wells mentioned after the 1-for-2 evening. “It was enjoyable to do this as we speak.”
Boone has loads of leadoff choices (partially as a result of he doesn’t have any surefire match after Gleyber Torres walked in free company) in a lineup that’s nonetheless taking form.
Aaron Decide is nearly locked in because the No. 2 hitter, and Cody Bellinger is the front-runner to hit third, the place he batted Friday and added his personal first-inning dwelling run.
Final season Wells was used most frequently because the cleanup hitter, and he might soar from Decide’s safety (after Decide sometimes batted third in 2024) to Decide’s table-setter.
The slow-footed Wells shouldn’t be the throwback imaginative and prescient of a leadoff man and won’t steal many bases, however he fights by at-bats, has a great information of the strike zone and most significantly can get on base.
“You by no means know right here,” Boone mentioned of a leadoff Wells. “It’s one thing I might contemplate. I’ve preferred Jazz [Chisholm Jr.] there.
“Particularly in opposition to right-handed pitching, I might completely see that being a factor.”
Via 94 video games final season, Wells posted a powerful .348 on-base proportion that noticed him climb out of the underside of the lineup and into the center of the lineup.
The then-rookie drained down the stretch in his first full season as a serious league catcher and as he performed almost on daily basis, his OBP simply .217 in September.
If a greater rested and performing Wells arrives this season, he might seize the on a regular basis leadoff job or serve within the function in opposition to opposing righties.
Chisholm, switch-hitting Jasson Domínguez and maybe Bellinger additionally might fill that function.
If Boone opts for a platoon atop the lineup, there are worlds wherein righties Anthony Volpe or DJ LeMahieu (if he turns again the clock) would get seems to be hitting first in opposition to lefties.
“To me it doesn’t matter the place I’m at,” Wells mentioned, “simply so long as I’m within the lineup.”
