Austin
Wells

7/28/17 - Continues to raise his national profile as a high-level left-handed hitting backstop. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Arizona recruit fired thigh-high 1.88-2.00 strikes to second base, then followed it up by hitting some taper-blasts from the left side.

7/10/17 - Named to Team USA 18U trials roster.

7/1/17 - Stood out defensively, catching a couple base stealers and registering pop times in the 1.93-2.15 range.

6/29/17 - Has walked five times in three games so he hasn’t been able to swing the bat much, but his defense has shined in the meantime. On Thursday, he popped a 2.18 from his knees to nail a base stealer at second base, though it was the fourth out as a strikeout came on the pitch to end the inning. He later caught another runner with a 2.1-second pop time.

6/28/17 - Started the game as a DH and turned on a 3-1 pitch for a double into the right-field corner. It looked like a home run off the bat, but fell just short. He then entered the game defensively and popped a 1.9 for an out on a stolen base attempt. He walked and was hit by a pitch in his three other plate appearances. He is committed to Stanford.

2020 DRAFT: Wells enjoyed a breakout freshman campaign in Tucson last spring, slashing .353/.462/.552 with more walks (46) than strikeouts (43) in 277 plate appearances. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound backstop kept that offensive magic going last summer in the Cape, slashing .308/.389/.526 with seven home runs over 180 plate appearances. He followed his all-star summer with more high-level production and a .375/.527/.589 slash line in 15 games this spring. Wells gets good natural lift and possesses the bat speed and core strength to produce plus raw power and drive the oppo gap as effectively as he can go out front and pull the ball with authority. He manages the strike zone well, working counts effectively to find pitches to drive while also taking the free pass when available; he has walked 63 times compared to 57 strikeouts during his college career with the Wildcats. Defensively, he's a capable backstop with solid hands and footwork along with an ability to break off consistent pop times around 2 seconds, although his arm strength is now more fringe average and not nearly what he showed as a prep. Now a soph-eligible, Wells will likely be considered in the middle of the first round for a club that believes he could develop into an adequate defender behind the dish. If Wells falls too far on draft day, he could easily return to college for his second sophomore season and continue to develop his defense, potentially boosting his value for what could be a loaded 2021 draft.

8/14/19: Wells enjoyed a breakout freshman campaign in Tucson this spring, slashing .353/.462/.552 with more walks (46) than strikeouts (43) in his 56 games and 277 plate appearances. The precocious backstop kept that offensive magic going this summer with Y-D, slashing .308/.389/.526 through 42 games and 180 plate appearances, launching seven home runs along the way (good for fifth in the league in both average and homers). Wells gets good natural lift and possesses the bat speed and core strength to drive the oppo gap as effectively as he can go out front and pull the ball with authority. He manages the strike zone well, working counts effectively to find pitches to drive while also taking the free pass when available. Defensively, the Wildcat product is a capable backstop with good hands and footwork along with an ability to break off consistent pops around 2 seconds. It’s a potential impact profile with Day One projection. (Faleris)