Austin Wells has Yankees' first facial hair superstition since beard policy change

New York Times

28-05-2025

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Austin Wells' beard is safe … for at least a few more days.
The New York Yankees' first facial hair superstition in their new era of beard tolerance stayed alive with a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.
It clinched a series victory for the Yankees, which meant Wells wouldn't have to break out the Bic.
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Before Opening Day, Wells and catching coach Tanner Swanson made a pact. They would only shave when the team lost a series.
'Hopefully,' Wells said recently, 'we don't lose another series the rest of the year.'
They haven't had to shave too often. Especially lately.
The Yankees have rattled off seven straight series wins since falling to the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game set in early May. They won their first two games of a three-game set versus the Angels that began Monday.
'I would prefer if (Wells) kept (the beard), but I understand,' starting pitcher Carlos Rodón said. 'He seems to grow a beard within two days. So I guess if he shaves it, it really doesn't matter because it's going to show up pretty quickly.'
The Yankees are 34-20, the second-best record in the American League. They're seven games ahead atop the AL East. The Angels fell to 25-29.
'Doing a lot of good things,' manager Aaron Boone said. 'We've won some of these lower-scoring games now, too. It's not like we've just blown teams out over and over. That's been good to see. We've been winning a couple of these tight games, which eluded us a little bit early. But just overall playing good baseball.'
Carlos Rodón. Jump Throw. 🤯#RepBX pic.twitter.com/Owza3PyP39
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 28, 2025
The win came as Rodón dominated, striking out 10 and issuing zero walks for the first time this season over seven scoreless innings. The Yankees also received solo shots from designated hitter Ben Rice (11 home runs this season) and third baseman Oswald Peraza (three). Shortstop Anthony Volpe contributed an RBI single.
Devin Williams earned his first save in a month, but it wasn't easy. He gave up a home run to Yoan Moncada to lead off the ninth. A single, a flyout and another single later, Williams had runners on the corners when Jo Adell grounded into a fielder's choice to shortstop that scored Taylor Ward. Volpe made an excellent stop ranging to his right before firing to second base, where DJ LeMahieu dragged his back foot across the bag to secure the out. The Angels challenged the call, but it was upheld.
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Then pinch hitter Logan O'Hoppe swung at a 3-0 fastball and popped out foul to third base to end the game.
It meant Wells and Swanson wouldn't have to worry about razor burn on Wednesday.
Wells said he likes having a beard because it helps his catcher's mask sit 'a little nicer on the chin.'
'It doesn't get as irritated,' he said. 'So, that's nice.'
The Yankees stunned baseball when they abandoned their nearly 50-year policy banning facial hair Feb. 21. The rule originated with late owner George Steinbrenner, and it was a hot-button topic for fans and players. Some loved it. Some hated it.
The team had been considering ending the policy for years, but momentum toward making the change increased after the club traded for reliever Devin Williams, who told the Yankees, including owner Hal Steinbrenner, he wanted to keep his beard. After days of deliberation and conversation, Steinbrenner changed the policy to allow 'well-groomed' beards, the team said in a statement at the time.
General manager Brian Cashman immediately had Wells in mind when it happened.
'It looks like Austin Wells probably has to shave twice a day just to comply with the prior setup,' Cashman said at the time.
When the Yankees changed the policy, Wells wasn't sure he was going to grow a beard. The Yankees drafted him in 2020. For as long as he was in professional baseball, he was used to shaving during the season and unleashing his beard in the offseason.
But there's a difference between keeping a beard and letting it run wild. Wells has kept up trimming it around his neck, off his lip and near his ears. He said he had been packing his trimmer for road trips just in case.
Swanson said he looks at the superstition as a 'way to connect with Wellsy.'
'I like to think we have probably as close of a relationship as you can have player-coach,' Swanson said. 'I enjoy spending time with him. We spend more time together than we do with our families. This is one small distraction from the day-in, day-out baseball connection we share. I'm having fun with it.'
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Swanson said Boone recently gave him a friendly reminder to keep his beard a little neater. So Swanson used a straight razor to chisel at it. He hadn't packed a trimmer for the Yankees' three-city jaunt out West.
The public reaction to the Yankees' ending the policy was loud when it happened, but Boone said he has been surprised at how quickly beards in the clubhouse have felt normal to him. Even team captain Aaron Judge has allowed himself to grow some scruff.
'You always thought this day might come and people's heads are going to explode and, 'What's it going to be like?'' Boone said. 'It's already gone away pretty quickly, in my view. I don't know how people view it, but I don't think about it.'
Rodón has grown a full beard and said he's on the verge of needing to corral it.
'I'm getting there, too,' he said. 'I don't really want to, but I'll have to trim it some.'
Max Fried said he loves Wells' superstition.
'Man,' Fried said, 'that's a thick mustache. I think it's more impressive how fast (Wells') beard grew to be able to match that mustache.'
'Tanner's got a good one going, too, now,' Rodón said. 'Hopefully, he keeps it for the rest of the year.'
All the Yankees' winning has left Wells with one concern, though.
'I just got to make sure (the beard) doesn't get too out of hand,' he said.