The New York Yankees find themselves in a very tight post-season race in the American League, and with just over a month to go in the season, each and every game could play a pivotal role in how 2026 ends.
Over the weekend, the team play four against the rival Boston Red Sox, and given how close things are in the AL East, winning this series could go a long way towards the Yankees finishing top of the Wild Card race or even chasing down Tampa Bay in the division. On Friday, the Yankees picked up a tight 1-0 win in game one of the four-game set, and on Saturday in game one of a doubleheader, the team have made a big call on catcher Austin Wells.
Austin Wells Out for Game One Against the Red Sox
On Friday, the Yankees picked up the win behind Cam Schlittler, but with very little offense to see from the team (three hits, one run), the concerns around the lineup linger around the organization.
One player that has struggled in recent times is Austin Wells, and in that victory, the catcher went 0-3 hitting in the nine spot in the order, but given how well he commanded the staff in their shutout win, he needs to be commended for that. However, in game one of the doubleheader, the Yankees have made the move to go with Ali Sanchez, benching Wells for the first of two, but given how much both have played in recent times, they may go back to Wells for game two.
It’s no secret that Wells has been scuffling at the plate all season long, and in August things haven’t improved much as he is hitting .237 in 59 plate appearances, with the power notably down as he had just one home run and five RBI in that time.
Sure, the nine-spot isn’t where teams are expecting to get power from, but after an impressive 2025 campaign, Wells’ struggles have severely impacted a Yankees team that have dealt with just as many injuries to key players as any team in baseball.
Can the Yankees Take Down Their Biggest Rival?
As a result, the Yankees have been happy to move between Wells and Sanchez in recent times, and after playing on Friday, splitting the two on Saturday makes perfect sense as the team look for some type of offensive spark to support what has been an incredible performance in recent times from the pitching staff.
The team haven’t shown much production from behind the plate in recent times, but given how critical this series is to the overall standings in the American League this season, if the Yankees can get anything from their catching duo on Saturday, it will go a long way to holding off the Red Sox for top spot in the AL Wild Card race.
Yankees Make Huge Call on Austin Wells Ahead of Red Sox Doubleheader