🔥 Trending Austin Hedges: Cleveland Guardians Catcher

Austin Hedges is an American professional baseball catcher currently playing for the Cleveland Guardians in Major League Baseball (MLB) ¹⁸. He is known for his defensive skills behind the plate ³.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born on August 18, 1992, in San Juan Capistrano, California, Austin Charles Hedges attended Junipero Serra High School ¹²⁶. He was highly regarded as a prospect, rated the second-best catching prospect and 12th-best position player prospect in the 2011 Draft Class by Baseball America ². Hedges had initially committed to play at UCLA before signing with the San Diego Padres, who drafted him in the second round (82nd overall pick) in 2011 ²⁶.

MLB Career Highlights

Hedges made his MLB debut on May 4, 2015 ⁶. Throughout his career, he has played for several MLB teams, including:

• San Diego Padres ¹
• Pittsburgh Pirates ¹
• Texas Rangers ¹
• Cleveland Guardians ¹

A significant achievement in his career includes winning the World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2023 ¹.

Current Status and Role

As of 2026, Hedges is with the Cleveland Guardians ¹⁸. While his offensive statistics, such as a .161/.250/.277 slash line with 10 RBI and 13 runs scored across 180 plate appearances in a recent regular season, may not be exceptional, his strong defensive capabilities are highly valued ³. He is expected to serve as a backup catcher for the Guardians, primarily behind Bo Naylor ³.

Contract and Statistics

Austin Hedges' current contract for 2026 is for 1 year and $4,000,000.00 ⁴. Over his career, he has accumulated 462 hits, with 40 hits in the current season ⁴.