Yankees' Emerging Star Gaining Legitimate Consideration for Award

This young, surging Yankee could receive MLB honors at the end of the year.

Aug 30, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) celebrates with second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) after hitting a two run home run during the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have a future star on their hands.

After another exceptional performance on Friday, catcher Austin Wells has jumped up to the second-best odds of winning the American League Rookie of the Year award; on DraftKings, the 25-year-old backstop has +800 odds, which trails only Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser.

But while Cowser seems to be the heavy favorite as of now, with -1200 odds, there is a legitimate case for Wells to be the winner when all is said and done.

As of Saturday, Wells is hitting .256/.348/.444 with 14 doubles, 12 home runs, 42 RBI, 35 runs scored, and a 124 wRC+. He's additionally doing this as one of the best defensive catchers in the majors, as he has a Statcast Fielding Run Value of 10, which ranks in the 94th percentile on Baseball Savant.

Wells' impact on the Yankees extends beyond his overall season numbers, though. Fairly recently, the Bronx Bombers have moved the youngster into the cleanup spot in the lineup against right-handed pitchers; in 20 games batting cleanup, Wells has a .346 batting average, three doubles, five home runs, and 21 RBI. The Yankees struggled to find production from their No. 4 hitter all season prior to Wells' surge. Since he took over in the role, New York's lineup has seen much better production as a whole, and has especially benefitted Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in front of him.

On Friday night, Wells was the driving force in New York's 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The rookie slammed a pair of two-run homers; the first would be the deciding blow, while the second allowed the Yankees to tack on some key insurance.

Fare Thee Wells 👨🏻#RepBX pic.twitter.com/guAM2rh6pu

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 31, 2024

The Rookie of the Year vote should be close, as Cowser has also been excellent for the Orioles this year; he's hitting .247/.325/.453 with 20 home runs, 60 RBI, 64 runs scored, and a 120 wRC+ while playing rock solid outfield defense (10 fielding runs). Cowser also has the slight advantage in fWAR, with 3.5 against Wells' 3.4.

But with Wells emerging as an integral piece to the Yankees' success lately, he should be a major contender for the award.