Wild Yankees hitting stat shows how bad Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra have been

Wild Yankees hitting stat shows how bad Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra have been originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The New York Yankees have a major problem at catcher. 

It was a problem even before Austin Wells went to the injured list with cervical headaches. 

However, the issue has nothing to do with defense and everything to do with the quality of at-bats Wells and backup J.C. Escarra have provided. 

There’s been next to no production, and this statistic from The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner proves it. 

Wild stat: Since May 1, Yankees catchers have a combined 8 wRC+, a slash line of .130/.205/.165, and a strikeout rate of 30.7%. They have a combined 15 hits and 11 walks since May 1.

In June, a Yankees catcher has yet to reach base. 0-for-22, 0 BB, 10 K

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) June 10, 2026

That’s right. None of New York’s catchers have reached base in June. That’s the definition of an automatic out. 

Perhaps Ali Sanchez, recently promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, can change that today against the Cleveland Guardians. 

Sanchez is a right-handed hitter, which provides the lineup with a little more balance than the tandem of Wells and Escarra. 

MORE: Mets projected to still sell at trade deadline by ex-MLB GM

The Yankees are heavily rumored to be in the market for a right-handed hitting catcher at this year’s trade deadline. 

The lack of offense from their catchers hasn’t hurt them in the standings, but it may not be sustainable for a team with World Series aspirations. 

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