Cleveland Guardians' Austin Hedges is building off his strong end to the 2025 season through the first two weeks of 2026.
At this point in Austin Hedges’ career, his role on the Cleveland Guardians is clear.
He’s a veteran catcher who is a phenomenal defensive backstop and a leader in the locker room. However, the Guardians aren’t relying on Hedges to be a staple in the lineup with his bat.
That said, two weeks into the season, Hedges is off to a strong start at the plate, and he deserves some recognition for what he’s been able to provide the Guardians in a small sample size.
In 11 at-bats so far this season, Hedges has five hits (.455 AVG), and two of those have gone for doubles (1.091 OPS). He’s hitting the ball hard, too; Hedges has an average exit velocity of 94.7 mph on his handful of hits.
Again, it’s been in limited opportunities, but the 33-year-old has been far from a liability for the Guardians in the batter’s box, and that’s not something that’s been able to be said throughout his first or second Cleveland tenure.
Even though these numbers may come as a shock, considering Hedges’ history at the plate, it may not just be a hot start, but a progression from what Cleveland saw from Hedges at the end of last season.
In one way, Hedges might actually be building off a strong end to his 2025 season. In September of last year, the veteran logged a .820 OPS in 12 games, which included two home runs.
Making adjustments at the plate and becoming a better overall offensive player were priorities for Hedges.
Mar 30, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (27) reacts after hitting a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesAfter the Guardians re-signed Hedges in the offseason, he talked about this strong stretch at the plate in September and a mindset shift he implemented, which appears to be carrying over into the start of the 2026 season.
“I made a really big adjustment with my plan, and everything I did the last month of the season was on purpose. There was no accident. I was a really, really good big league hitter for an entire month, and boy, does that feel good to someone who hasn't been,” said Hedges last October.
Hedges' newfound emergence on offense won’t change Cleveland’s long-term plans at catcher.
The team still needs to see if Bo Naylor can finally put together a breakout season, and Cooper Ingle could be up with the team by the time the summer months roll around if he keeps producing at Triple-A. (He has a .389/.633/.722 slashline to start the Minor League season).
The Guardians and Hedges also still need more time to see if this uptick in offensive production is sustainable.
But if Hedges can provide somewhat of a boost on offense, he’ll make the Guardians even more of a dynamic team than they already are.
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