C/1B Austin Wells, Arizona
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DoB: 7/12/1999. B/T: L/R
2020 Stats: 2 HR, .375/.527/.589, 1 SB, 14/17 K/BB in 15 games
Man, can this dude hit. He exploded onto the scene as a freshman at Arizona by slashing .353/.462/.552 with five home runs and more walks (46) than strikeouts (43) last year, then was off to a strong start in his draft-eligible sophomore season with a .375/.527/.589 line and a pair of home runs through 15 games, bringing his career line to .357/.476/.560 across 71 games. That 2020 performance saw him get on base at least twice in 13/15 games, beginning with a massive opening day where he went 3-4 with two doubles and a home run against Albany. Wells also raked in the elite Cape Cod League over the summer, slashing .295/.377/.491 with seven home runs and a 51/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 46 games against the top pitchers in amateur baseball. All of that hitting as one of the younger draft-eligible college players in this year's draft will almost make you overlook the fact that his defense raises quite a few questions.
There aren't many weak spots in Wells' offensive game. He's a patient hitter who draws his share of walks even at a young age, he makes consistent hard contact against all kinds of high quality pitching, and he packs lots of raw power into at 6'2", 220 pound frame. Employing a fairly simple swing, his sheer strength helps him really drive the ball to all fields without really selling out for that power, and that enabled the power to really play up with wood bats on the Cape. There is virtually no question that power will continue to play up in pro ball, where he could move quickly through the minors. There is just a little bit of swing and miss in his game, but that is normal for a power hitter and the hit tool is a much safer bet than some of the other power college bats like Heston Kjerstad, Aaron Sabato, Casey Martin, and Jordan Westburg. The reason he ranks so low, however, is because of the defense.
Wells is listed as a catcher and does have a chance to stick there, but it is far from a certainty. He needs work in virtually all areas of his game, and it could be a bit of a project. As a well below average runner who really isn't all that athletic, he doesn't project well in the outfield and even his work at first base needs to be cleaned up. The fact that he hasn't shown much competence at other positions almost makes it easier to keep him as a catcher, but that will take time to develop and the bat is so advanced already and so potent that teams just might not want to wait around for that part of his game to develop (see Carlos Delgado, Kyle Schwarber, or even Bryce Harper). He reportedly worked hard on his defense over the winter, and it's very possible that he is a better defender now than he was six months ago or a year ago, but he didn't show enough in his very small sample this spring to move the needle much.
If Wells does get things figured out behind the plate, he'll be a steal even in the first round. That bat could be good for 25-35 home runs on an annual basis with very good on-base percentages, and even if he hit the lower end of that range as a catcher, he'd be one of the best in a game that lacks standouts at the position. As a first baseman, though, those numbers still play very well, and it's really hard to see him falling out of the first round even if his glove was made of concrete. Outside of that top tier of college hitters (Spencer Torkelson, Austin Martin, and Nick Gonzales), there is no safer bet to be an impact hitter in this class. If you can hit, they'll find a spot for you, and Wells could push his way up boards even without the glove and find himself right in the middle of the first round.
Cape Cod League game action
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