The 2020 season was a lost one for many players and prospects, even in the New York Yankees. There was a shortened MLB season, but the Minor League Baseball campaign was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues.
However, the fact that there wasn’t live baseball for catcher Austin Wells, the Yankees’ 2020 first-round draft pick, didn’t prevent him from making an effort to improve his skills.
“So far he’s been really impressive,” Kevin Reese, the Yankees’ senior director of player development, said to MLB.com. “I think what’s been impressive, too, is just throughout this downtime — I can’t imagine being a player during this time, especially a first-round pick who has to wait a year to get into a game — he’s been a total pro; communicating really well with our hitting, catching, nutrition, strength and conditioning staff.