Young Yankees star trying out new side hustle: food influencer

PITTSBURGH – Becoming a food influencer was probably not on Austin Wells’ list of goals for the season. But the Yankees’ catcher flexed his versatility this past weekend, launching an Instagram account dedicated to reviewing breakfast burritos: @wells.ranked.burritos.

“What inspired me? Well, I just really liked breakfast burritos,” Wells said. “We always have them everywhere we go on the road. I was like, ‘I’m just going to make a joke and make a little Instagram account, maybe have some teammates follow me and post something about it.’ Now it’s not a small thing anymore.”

No, it isn’t. The account gained traction quickly, accumulating more than 50,000 followers in a matter of days. Asked about the account, Wells’ teammate and close friend Anthony Volpe said jokingly, “I hate it. Just attention-seeking.”

Wells made his first post prior to Friday’s game against the Pirates at PNC Park, sampling a chorizo, egg, salsa and cheese breakfast burrito from Parkhurst Dining. Wells’ review was positive, posting a caption that detailed “perfectly cooked eggs to make a wonderful combo of spice and texture.”

He rated that first burrito an 87 out of 100, a higher ranking than his second review on Sunday morning, when Parkhurst’s steak and egg burrito garnered a 73 out of 100. Wells explained he preferred Friday’s chorizo over the steak, “as it added more flavor.”

So what is Wells looking for in his ideal breakfast burrito?

“I really love a chorizo burrito, a little crisp on the tortilla, just a lot of eggs,” Wells said. “So kind of simple, but a good flavor. We’ve had some really good ones; I didn’t think of it, but the one we had in Miami for the exhibition game was delicious, but I don’t have proof that I had one.”

Wells considers himself an expert on this topic; he mentioned The Elk and Little Ruby’s as two great places to find a breakfast burrito in New York. His next reviews should come from the visiting clubhouse at Comerica Park, with three afternoon games now on deck against the Tigers.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he loves Wells’ side hustle, but he questions the scoring system.

“He gave an 87, which is an interesting score. We tend to rank things on the coaching staff more on the scouting scale, 20 to 80,” Boone said.

“I’ve been pleased with the breakfast burritos here. The first day, I threw out a 60, which is a fringy All-Star, everyday guy. I threw out another 60 for [Sunday], but I only ate half, because I’m playing for the tie on this trip from a calorie intake standpoint.”

Not to be outdone, there are also food reviews coming from the press box. With some help from YES Network clubhouse reporter Meredith Marakovits, play-by-play broadcaster Michael Kay launched his own Instagram account over the weekend, @Kay_Eats_Tendies, dedicated to reviewing ballpark chicken tenders.

“He has a way better profile picture than me,” Wells said, referring to an AI-generated image that imagined Kay’s head on a chicken tender. “I’m a little worried. We’ll see how it goes. There’s no going back.”