The Cleveland Guardians understand the value of a great defensive catcher.
They have one in Austin Hedges, as they decided to bring him back after his stint with the organization from 2020 to 2022.
Hedges will form a tandem with Bo Naylor, and what’s more, he will participate in his mentorship.
Naylor is one of the top emerging hitting catchers in the American League, but still has work to do in certain aspects of catching: game prep, blocking, framing, throwing out runners, and calling a game.
It’s normal: he is very young, and these things are usually learned with experience.
Thankfully, the Guardians prioritized having two figures in camp who should really help Naylor: Hedges and manager Stephen Vogt.
As you know, Vogt is a former catcher with more than a decade of experience at the highest level.
But back to Hedges, though: the organization seems thrilled to have him back.
Players are praising him without even being consulted.
“Stephen Vogt, Steven Kwan and Triston McKenzie have all— unprompted— mentioned the impact of Austin Hedges on the Guardians. Thrilled to have him back around,” Cleveland.com’s Hayden Grove tweeted.
Stephen Vogt, Steven Kwan and Triston McKenzie have all— unprompted— mentioned the impact of Austin Hedges on the Guardians.
Thrilled to have him back around.#Guardians
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) January 20, 2024
If Hedges were at least close to league-average offensively, he could be a starter anywhere around the league.
That is not the case, though: he owns a career .189/.246/.321 line with a 52 wRC+, much lower than the league-average threshold of 100.
He is so good at framing, catching, throwing, and calling games that he continues to find backup gigs around MLB.
He might not hit, but he is an asset to any roster and clubhouse, and his teammates can’t stress that enough.
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