Austin Wells could be next in Yankees' list of great catchers

The New York Yankees have a legacy of excellence behind the plate.

Bill Dickey was the beginning of the list of impressive Yankees catchers, playing his first 10 games in 1928. An 11-time All-Star and a seven-time World Series winner, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954.

Dickey retired in 1946, just in time for Yogi Berra to begin his time in the majors. Berra, who played seven games in Dickey's final year, was an 18-time All-Star, three-time AL MVP and won 10 championships. He took his place alongside Dickey in the Hall of Fame in 1972. It is fitting that the number 8, worn by both Dickey and Berra, was retired by the Yankees in 1972.

The Yankees' legacy behind the plate continued during Berra's time. Elston Howard, Thurman Munson and Jorge Posada were All-Stars, with Howard and Munson both winning Gold Glove awards. Munson may have joined Berra and Dickey in the Hall of Fame but had his career tragically cut short when he passed away in a plane crash .

Austin Wells may be the next player to continue the lineage of excellence. His overall performance this season would not indicate as such as he had produced a .234/.333/.410 batting line in 244 plate appearances, hitting eight homers and 10 doubles. Those numbers are solid but nothing special.

However, Wells' overall numbers are skewed by his struggles at the start of the season. Wells has been one of the best catchers in baseball since June 1, posting a .262/.369/.505 batting line in 131 plate appearances, hitting seven homers and three doubles. His 1.8 fWAR in that time frame is tied with Patrick Bailey for second in the majors.

Wells is not just a hitter. He has worked on his defense, becoming one of the better defensive catchers in the game. Wells ranks fourth in the majors in pitch framing and is tied for fifth with seven runs saved behind the plate, per FanGraphs . That level of offensive production, coupled with his stellar defense, gives Wells the hallmarks of an elite catcher.

The Yankees have an impressive legacy at catcher. The 24-year-old Wells may be the next in line.