The Cleveland Guardians entered this season counting on improvement from within at the catcher position to give their lineup a needed boost. They expected that to come from Bo Naylor, after his breakout final month of last season.
Unfortunately, Naylor has gotten off to a very slow start that is even worse than the rest of his MLB career. Instead, defensive specialist Austin Hedges is the catcher exceeding offensive expectations for Cleveland, with a .267 batting average that is well above his career mark.
The Guardians veteran is off to a “fun start” this season, which includes a significant personal event to go along with his success on the field.
“How good of a defensive catcher and clubhouse presence is Hedges? So good that, even as he hit a combined .185 in his first 11 seasons, teams kept giving him money and playing time. So it’s been fun to watch Hedges have a meaningful breakthrough with the bat. His average (81 points) and on-base percentage (58 points) are both well above his norm. It doesn’t seem a coincidence that the Guardians are 9-0 when Hedges starts and 5-12 when he doesn’t. And he even got engaged on the field after a recent win! A fun start for a tremendous pro,” Anthony Castrovince wrote.
Entering his 12th MLB season, Hedges had a lifetime batting average below .200. Last year, he had a slash line of .161/.250/.277, which was even worse the year before, at .152/.203/.220, as he began his second stint with the Cleveland franchise.
Now, so far this season, the slash line is .267/.303/.333, which is a significant improvement at this point in someone’s career. The good vibes continued when Hedges proposed on Progressive Field after a victory on this recently completed homestand.
Naylor, on the other hand, has become a significant disappointment whose future is becoming increasingly in doubt. After batting .290 with an OPS of .843 and three home runs with 16 RBIs last September, and having an excellent spring training, he is batting .130 with an OPS of .407 and one home run and three RBIs so far this year.
Catching prospect Cooper Ingle was playing his way toward a possible promotion as one of the best hitters in all of the minor leagues. However, after extending his on-base streak to 15 games, he left with an injury, which may have taken his major league debut off the table for the time being.
Hedges is unlikely to keep up his performance at the plate, based on his lengthy history, but the Guardians would be wise to enjoy it and take advantage of it as long as they can.
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