Current Non-Rostered New York Yankees Catcher Predicted To Win Backup Job

The New York Yankees are entering the 2025 campaign with their catcher position locked up for the future after the emergence of Austin Wells.

The former top prospect took over the starting role and made the most of his opportunity, finishing third in American League Rooke of the Year voting where the questionable part of his game - defense - flourished while his offense still has some room to grow.

That's exciting for the Yankees, and it allowed them to trade former All-Star Jose Trevino the Cincinnati Reds at the beginning of the offseason.

In return, New York got back pitcher Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson, the latter of whom will be in camp as a non-roster invite.

There will be a battle during Spring Training to determine who the backup catcher will be, and Bryan Hoch of MLB.com predicted it will be Jackson who ultimately fills that role when the Opening Day roster is announced.

At the age of 29, Jackson has appeared in 124 Major League games in his career following his debut in 2019, getting into 58 contests last season with the Tampa Bay Rays.

His offense leaves a lot to be desired with a slash line of .132/.224/.232 across his 340 plate appearances, but his value comes as a defensive catcher with a bWAR of 0.6 behind the plate when he's been called upon.

Going into the year with the combination of Wells and Jackson doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in case their rising star has to miss time with injury or sees a drop off in his play. But there aren't a whole lot of better options the Yankees can turn to at the moment.

J.C. Escarra has produced better offensive numbers in the minors, but he's never had a plate appearance in the MLB. Jesus Rodriguez is 22 years old and has only reached Double-A. The other non-roster catchers - Omar Martinez, Rafael Flores and Ronaldo Hernandez - are in the same situation with the lack of Major League experience as prospects.

Jackson is the only one in the mix who's played in The Show.

That should give him the advantage when it comes to earning a roster spot, something Hoch is expecting will happen before Opening Day arrives.

Recommended Articles