Why the Yankees Bold Choice at Leadoff Could Backfire
The New York Yankees, for good or for bad, love to live by analytics. It's a shame that they break some of the most fundamental baseball laws of lineup construction. The last person you place as the leadoff hitter of a baseball nine is the catcher. The Yankees’ attempt at creativity resulted in inserting their backstop, Austin Wells, as the number-one hitter to start the season.
There are a variety of reasons known to baseball guys that explain why you don't make this move. The lead-off man is traditionally your fastest player. He hits for average with the ability to get on base to set up his power hitters for RBI opportunities or to wreak havoc on the bases. Wells does not hit with the type of average that will get him on base consistently enough, and if he does, he is not really a stealing threat.
Secondly, should Wells get on base consistently, he will be required to run the bases more often. The additional strain on his legs, along with his normal catching duties, is one not usually asked of a catcher. Austin risks wearing down as the season progresses, not unlike how Aaron Judge did, placing unnecessary miles on his legs by playing the vast of games at Yankee Stadium in center field. An injury or fatigue can occur, which removes or reduces his leadoff effectiveness and bogs the offense down.
Thirdly, Wells is a power hitter better utilized for the fourth or fifth position in this lineup or lower to protect the weaker half of the Yankees’ lineup. In the lead spot, you remove a home run threat made to drive runs in, not run them in. In essence, it takes one strength to fill a hole in another. The Yankees are once again playing a person to play in an unfamiliar position and be effective in an area that does not come naturally. Wells spent all of 2024 proving to the Yankees that he should not be a part-timer. The Yankee mentality is that a young player has to bust the door down to pass a veteran and get a lane, like in the case of Jasson Dominguez. Now, the Yankees are messing with a 25-year-old who won the starting catcher position, bringing an unnecessary challenge that may ruin the Yankees’ offensive dynamic before it starts.
