Catcher is, by far, the most demanding position in baseball. Not only does it require players to be in an uncomfortable position for a long time, but it demands a deep knowledge of the game, good communication skills, framing, making accurate throws, blocking balls in the dirt, and memorizing patterns, pitches, and a myriad of other stuff.
Thankfully, the Cleveland Guardians have one of the best catching situations in the entire postseason picture. They actually started the year with one of the worst, using Bo Naylor almost regularly until the Patrick Bailey trade.
After that point, the former San Francisco Giants and longtime backup Austin Hedges have locked down the spot both defensively and, to the surprise of many, offensively. With the two underrated defensive stars, Cleveland guaranteed that their pitchers would always have a well-above-average backstop to guide them.
Bailey has won two Gold Gloves with the Giants, in 2024 and 2025, and boasts a very decent 90 wRC+ as a member of the Guardians. He also has five Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) in Cleveland.
His impact on the Guardians goes well beyond the box score, though. Pitchers love working with him, and he seems to handle the staff admirably.
Hedges has worked tirelessly to leave behind his reputation as a terrible hitter. He has succeeded, boasting a career-high 100 wRC+ in 82 games. Yes, Hedges is now a league-average hitter, which might not seem overly significant, but it definitely is when we factor in his defensive brilliance.
Few catchers in the game handle a staff better than he does. Even though he has a career-worst -4 DRS, everybody in Cleveland and in baseball knows that he’s phenomenal behind the plate.
Together, Hedges and Bailey form a formidable pairing behind the plate for Cleveland. They have close to league-average offense and elite defensive performance, not to mention Hedges’ leadership and gamesmanship.
Other postseason squads struggle at the catcher position, but that’s definitely not a problem for the Guardians. They solved their issues behind the plate the day they decided to trust a young, up-and-coming Bailey, pair him with Hedges, and give them the keys to the pitching staff.
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