Who's the best backup for Wells at backstop?

This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch¡¯s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

It was the eve of Austin Wells¡¯ World Series debut, and as he prepared for a cross-country flight toward the unknown excitement that awaited in Los Angeles, the rookie catcher savored a brief pause to consider how far he¡¯d come.

¡°It¡¯s a lot of fun,¡± Wells said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that any of this has really processed for me yet. After all is said and done, I think it¡¯ll be a lot crazier for me in my own eyes.¡±

Months later, Wells has surely had time to appreciate the highs and lows of a season that concluded with him as the unquestioned starter behind the plate, freeing the Yankees to pursue a December trade that shipped veteran Jose Trevino to the Reds.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman entered the winter believing their catching depth would be an area of strength, and when pitchers filter into George M. Steinbrenner Field later this spring, they¡¯ll see Wells now anointed as the leader of the catching groups.

A first-round selection (28th overall) by the Yanks in the 2020 MLB Draft, the 25-year-old Wells is coming off a campaign in which he batted .229/.322/.395 (103 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 115 games, stats that warmed after a 3-for-35 (.086) start.

Just as important, Wells provided his hurlers with comfort behind the plate -- no small leap forward, considering earlier assessments of him as an offense-first backstop; there were those who opined Wells should consider a position switch to first base or the outfield, suggestions that have since been quieted.

According to Baseball Savant, Wells ranked third in catcher framing runs (11) and tied for fourth in fielding run value (12) among Major League catchers, while Wells¡¯ 3.79 catcher¡¯s ERA was sixth-best in the AL and 10th best in the Majors. He was the starting catcher in 53 of the Yankees¡¯ final 74 regular season games, from July 4 through the end of September -- and opponents noticed.

¡°I think he¡¯s going to be a good catcher in the future,¡± said the Royals¡¯ Salvador Perez. ¡°The way he frames it, too, that¡¯s pretty good. And he¡¯s [hitting] fourth in that lineup. It makes me think he¡¯s going to be good.¡±

A September slump dented Wells¡¯ chances at the American League Rookie of the Year Award, which went instead to teammate Luis Gil, but his case was solid. Among AL rookies, Wells ranked fifth in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS (.718), while tying for fifth in homers and extra-base hits (32), and sixth in RBIs. His 3.5 fWAR ranked second among AL catchers.

Wells said that his goal entering last season was ¡°to catch as much as possible,¡± and though the workload was heavier than any in his previous pro career, Wells refused to use it as an excuse for his late-season struggles. Manager Aaron Boone said he believed Wells was ¡°in a good spot physically.¡±

¡°Being a catcher in October, that's a given, you're probably going to be worn down a little bit,¡± Boone said. ¡°I think going through it now will certainly serve him well moving forward in his career. Austin's another guy that I feel like is going to be a very good offensive player, especially for the position he plays.¡±

There figures to be a spring competition for a job as Wells¡¯ backup, with an opportunity presented to Alex Jackson, who was acquired from Cincinnati in the Trevino trade. The 29-year-old Jackson ranked fourth in the AL with a 28.2% caught-stealing percentage (11 of 39) last year with the Rays, for whom he batted .122 (17-for-139) with three homers and 12 RBIs in 58 games.

Should the Yankees seek more pop, they may look to J.C. Escarra, who turns 30 in April and hit .261/.355/.434 with 32 doubles, 12 homers and 64 RBIs in 124 combined games for Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Ben Rice also figures to get reps at catcher and first base this spring, but Escarra and Rice are both left-handed hitters, as is Wells. The Yanks may hesitate to carry a catching tandem without a right-handed choice.

Though he likely won¡¯t be with the club on Opening Day, keep an eye on Rafael Flores, who flourished in a Minor League season that saw him rank among the organization¡¯s leaders in home runs (21) and RBIs (68), batting a combined .279/.379/.495 in 122 games for High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset.