This Saturday, Nov. 13, the Arizona Fall League will hold its annual Fall Stars Game and a pair of promising New York Yankees prospects will get to showcase their skills.
Catcher Austin Wells and outfielder Elijah Dunham, the Yankees’ sixth- and 24th-ranked prospects (respectively) per MLB.com rankings, will suit up for the West Fall Stars squad as they compete against some of the game’s brightest young players.
Wells, 22, a lefty-hitting backstop drafted 28th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft, has been a force in Fall League play this year after slashing .275/.413/.471 with six extra-base hits, 11 RBI, 11 runs and 12 walks through his first 14 games played for the Surprise Saguaros.
Dunham, 23, an Indiana University product who signed with the Yankees as an undrafted free agent in June 2020, has also been among the best hitters in the Fall League this year with a 1.060 OPS through his first 18 games, which ranks fourth among all prospects. Dunham has slashed .354/.475/.585 with nine extra-base hits, 10 RBI and 13 walks in 65 at-bats so far for Surprise.
Both Wells and Dunham spent time in Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley this past year. In 103 games across both levels, Wells hit .264/.390/.476 with 23 doubles, 16 home runs, 76 RBI, 82 runs and 71 walks. Dunham appeared in 93 games for Tampa and Hudson Valley in 2021, slashing .263/.362/.463 with 25 doubles, 13 homers, 57 RBI, 72 runs and 47 walks.
Per MLB.com evaluators, Wells “employs a quick yet controlled left-handed stroke, recognizes pitches, manages the strike zone and utilizes the entire field. He taps into his plus raw power without swinging for the fences.”
The lefty-swinging Dunham is “a well-rounded offensive player,” adds MLB.com. “He has a relatively compact left-handed swing, manages the strike zone well and has the bat speed and strength to hit for power. He's not afraid to work deep counts in search of a pitch he can drive and will take walks if he doesn't get challenged.”
As two lefty hitters with keen control of the strike zone, Wells and Dunham have the makings of the kinds of players who thrive in Yankee Stadium, and it could only be a matter of time before fans see them in the Bronx.
Other Yankees prospects competing in the Fall League this year include LHP Clay Aguilar , RHP Harold Cortijo, RHP Zach Greene, RHP Tanner Myatt and INF Andrew Chaparro.
The Fall Stars Game is set to take place Saturday at 5 p.m. local time at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. In addition to the players selected for the East and West teams, two more prospects will be added with a final fan vote prior to Saturday’s game.
For more information on the Arizona Fall League and this year’s Fall Stars Game, visit the link here.
