Yankees catcher Austin Wells makes MLB history with leadoff home run on Opening Day

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Mar 27, 2025

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — Austin Wells’ tenure as the Yankees leadoff hitter got off to a strong start.

Wells — the first catcher in the Yankees’ 123-year history to start a game in the leadoff spot — crushed a home run in his first at-bat on Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The lefty-swinging Wells pulled a 2-0 fastball from Freddy Peralta into the right-field stands, putting the Yankees up, 1-0.

The big swing made Wells the first Yankee at any position to hit a leadoff home run on Opening Day, according to MLB stats guru Sarah Langs, and the first catcher in MLB history to hit a leadoff homer in the first game of the season.

The Yankees’ leadoff spot went unsettled for most of last season, until Gleyber Torres took it over in August and remained there through the postseason. Torres, who thrived in the role down the stretch, signed with the Detroit Tigers this winter.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone then began experimenting with Wells in the leadoff spot during spring training.

Although Wells, who hit .229 with one stolen base last season, doesn’t fit the profile of a prototypical leadoff hitter, he took off in the role this spring. He hit six home runs — all from the leadoff spot — including four in the first inning.

“He homered his first plate appearance as a leadoff hitter, so that kind of helped ease the transition a little bit,” Boone said before Thursday’s game.

“I think the world of Austin as a player. I think he’s going to become one of the really good two-way catchers in the league, and I think he’s ready to do that right now. So while I do feel like there are a number of guys in our lineup now, maybe some of them younger, that can fit that bill, I feel like he’s ready to handle that.”