Austin Hedges

Active

Cleveland Guardians · C

Age 346' 0" · 220 lbsBats Right

#721 Current#712 Preseason

FBaseball Overview

At 33 years old, Hedges enters 2026 as a depth catcher for the Guardians with modest offensive upside in fantasy formats. His early-season performance shows improvement over his dismal 2025 campaign, posting a .268 batting average through limited plate appearances, though his power remains minimal with just one home run and he lacks stolen-base production that would elevate his value. The veteran backstop offers consistency in a backup or streaming role for managers seeking catcher depth, but his declining offensive output and lack of impact in power and speed categories make him a risky pick in any competitive league. Fantasy managers should view Hedges primarily as a low-upside option best suited for deep benches rather than a meaningful contributor to batting average, home runs, or RBI categories.

News Updates

Austin Hedges homers in front of family for Guardians
Guardians catcher Austin Hedges went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Cleveland's 4-2 win over the Angels on Monday night. The memory was particularly special as Hedges' parents were in attendance at Angel Stadium to witness the moment.
Aug 25, 2026

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	San Diego Padres	56	152	137	.168	3	11	13	0	38	.215	.248	.463
2016	San Diego Padres	8	26	24	.125	0	1	2	0	7	.154	.167	.321
2017	San Diego Padres	120	417	387	.214	18	55	36	4	122	.262	.398	.660
2018	San Diego Padres	91	326	303	.231	14	37	29	3	90	.282	.429	.711
2019	San Diego Padres	102	347	312	.176	11	36	28	1	109	.252	.311	.563
2020	2 teams▼	35	83	69	.145	3	6	7	1	23	.231	.290	.521
2021	Cleveland Indians	88	312	286	.178	10	31	32	1	87	.220	.308	.528
2022	Cleveland Guardians	105	338	294	.163	7	30	26	2	78	.241	.248	.489
2023	2 teams▼	82	212	185	.184	1	16	14	1	47	.234	.227	.461
2024	Cleveland Guardians	66	146	132	.152	2	15	12	2	50	.203	.220	.423
2025	Cleveland Guardians	70	180	155	.161	5	10	13	1	43	.250	.277	.527
2026	Cleveland Guardians	82	247	215	.247	6	25	25	1	45	.325	.377	.702
Career	Totals	905	2786	2499	.190	80	273	237	17	739	.251	.318	.569

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
2011	2 teams▼	9	34	26	.231	1	4	3	1	4	.412	.385	.797
2012	Fort Wayne TinCaps	96	373	337	.279	10	56	44	14	62	.334	.451	.785
2013	2 teams▼	86	341	300	.260	4	38	38	8	54	.333	.390	.723
2014	San Antonio Missions	113	457	427	.225	6	44	31	1	89	.268	.323	.591
2015	El Paso Chihuahuas	21	79	71	.324	2	15	12	1	8	.392	.521	.913
2016	El Paso Chihuahuas	82	334	313	.326	21	82	55	1	51	.353	.597	.950
2017	AZL Padres	1	3	3	.000	0	0	0	0	2	.000	.000	.000
2018	2 teams▼	11	45	39	.385	3	12	8	0	10	.422	.718	1.140
Career	Totals	419	1666	1516	.273	47	251	191	26	280	.326	.441	.767

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Last Week / Last Month

Current season · MLB only

7 games

G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
7	26	21	.190	1	2	5	0	5	.346	.476	.822

30 games

G	PA	AB	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	K	OBP	SLG	OPS
30	100	85	.188	3	11	8	0	20	.300	.329	.629

Game Log2026 MLB

Loading game log…

Advanced Stats2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg85.8 mph

Max EV109.6 mph

Launch Angle12.4°

Barrel %4.5%

K %18.2%

Hard Hit %32.4%

Sprint Speed24.5 ft/s

Bat Speed69.1 mph

Whiff %24.1%

Chase %25.4%

xBA0.224

xSLG0.314

xwOBA0.280

GB%47.7%

FB%22.7%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Bat Speed — Average swing speed at the point of contact. Faster bat speed lets hitters wait longer on pitches and generates more raw power potential.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Loading player data...

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2015

San Diego Padres

152

137

.168

.215

.248

.463

2016

San Diego Padres

.125

.154

.167

.321

2017

San Diego Padres

120

417

387

.214

122

.262

.398

.660

2018

San Diego Padres

326

303

.231

.282

.429

.711

2019

San Diego Padres

102

347

312

.176

109

.252

.311

.563

2020

2 teams▼

.145

.231

.290

.521

2021

Cleveland Indians

312

286

.178

.220

.308

.528

2022

Cleveland Guardians

105

338

294

.163

.241

.248

.489

2023

2 teams▼

212

185

.184

.234

.227

.461

2024

Cleveland Guardians

146

132

.152

.203

.220

.423

2025

Cleveland Guardians

180

155

.161

.250

.277

.527

2026

Cleveland Guardians

247

215

.247

.325

.377

.702

Career

Totals

905

2786

2499

.190

273

237

739

.251

.318

.569

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2011

2 teams▼

.231

.412

.385

.797

2012

Fort Wayne TinCaps

373

337

.279

.334

.451

.785

2013

2 teams▼

341

300

.260

.333

.390

.723

2014

San Antonio Missions

113

457

427

.225

.268

.323

.591

2015

El Paso Chihuahuas

.324

.392

.521

.913

2016

El Paso Chihuahuas

334

313

.326

.353

.597

.950

2017

AZL Padres

.000

2018

2 teams▼

.385

.422

.718

1.140

Career

Totals

419

1666

1516

.273

251

191

280

.326

.441

.767

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

.190

.346

.476

.822

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

100

.188

.300

.329

.629