Bryce Harper
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

New York Yankees first-round pick Austin Wells is drawing comparisons to Bryce Harper for all the right reasons.

When former MVP Bryce Harper first hit the majors, he had such an enticing drive to his repertoire that made him an instant favorite among fans and teams alike. That tenacity is exactly what New York Yankees first-rounder Austin Wells possesses, per his high school coach Gino DiMaria.

DiMaria, who coaches at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, told Brandon Kuty of NJ.com that Wells’ hustle mirrors Harper’s. “[Harper] played hard. He tried to outrun every ground ball. He did everything. That’s what you’re going to get when you get Austin Wells,” DiMaria said.

The lefty slugger was selected with the 28th overall pick by the Yankees in the first night of the 2020 MLB Draft after being picked two years prior out of Bishop Gorman in the 35th round by the Yanks.

The catcher prospect had a .560 slugging percentage over his two seasons at the University of Arizona and should benefit from lining up with the short porch at Yankee Stadium in the future.

Harper and he have a very similar physical approach, with both Las Vegas products possessing powerful lefty swings with no shortage of power and finesse. The two have also come in contact with one another at Bishop Gorman, where Harper occasionally took batting practice.

The similarities, according to DiMaria, will propel the first-rounder up the Yankees farm system.

“He’ll never have a negative thing and he’ll never have a negative impact on that organization,” DiMaria. “They’re going to get a hard-nosed player. They’re going to get a player that’s going to leave everything on that field.”