Biographical

Portrait of Austin Hedges

Austin Hedges CIndians

Indians Player Cards | Indians Team Audit | Indians Depth Chart

2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 26)
PA AVG HR R RBI SB DRC+ WARP
Login or Subscribe today for access to projections!
Birth Date8-18-1992
Height6' 1"
Weight223 lbs
Age31 years, 7 months, 28 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
1.32015
0.02016
4.22017
2.12018
2.92019
proj
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

YEAR TEAM AGE G PA H 2B 3B HR BB SO HBP SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ DRAA BRR FRAA BWARP
2015 SDN 22 56 152 23 2 0 3 8 38 1 0 0 .168 .215 .248 62 -6.2 1.6 10.4 1.3
2016 SDN 23 8 26 3 1 0 0 0 7 1 0 1 .125 .154 .167 66 -1.0 -0.1 0.0 0.0
2017 SDN 24 120 417 83 17 0 18 23 122 3 4 1 .214 .262 .398 75 -12.0 0.6 34.1 4.2
2018 SDN 25 91 326 70 14 2 14 21 90 1 3 0 .231 .282 .429 88 -3.6 -2.1 11.8 2.1
2019 SDN 26 102 347 55 9 0 11 27 109 5 1 0 .176 .252 .311 61 -16.0 0.9 28.2 2.9
Career377126823443246793661182.201.257.36073-38.71.084.510.6

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G PA oppAVG oppOBP oppSLG BABIP BPF BRAA repLVL POS_ADJ DRC+ DRC+ SD FRAA BRR DRAA BWARP
2011 EUG A- NOR 4 12 .261 .350 .361 .143 98 -0.6 0.3 0.2 39 0 0.1 0.0 -1.0 -0.1
2011 PDR Rk AZL 5 22 .302 .370 .487 .286 120 1.5 0.7 -0.1 144 0 0.1 -0.3 -0.1 0.0
2012 FTW A MID 96 373 .253 .324 .377 .312 102 10 11.0 6.6 117 0 3.0 -1.0 6.4 2.6
2013 LEL A+ CAL 66 266 .272 .344 .432 .314 93 5.9 7.0 3.8 101 0 3.8 0.7 -5.2 1.0
2013 SAN AA TEX 20 75 .246 .314 .376 .259 94 -2.6 2.0 1.1 89 0 4.0 0.4 -2.5 0.5
2014 SAN AA TEX 113 457 .246 .313 .368 .269 94 -22.8 12.6 6.7 69 0 36.8 -1.7 -23.0 3.3
2015 SDN MLB NL 56 152 .253 .318 .403 .202 93 -9.9 4.1 2.3 62 13 10.4 1.6 -6.2 1.3
2015 ELP AAA PCL 21 79 .281 .349 .423 .344 106 4.3 2.2 0.7 131 0 5.1 0.0 1.2 0.9
2016 SDN MLB NL 8 26 .236 .300 .400 .167 96 -3.8 0.7 0.4 66 13 0.0 -0.1 -1.0 0.0
2016 ELP AAA PCL 82 334 .274 .335 .422 .329 114 17.3 9.4 4.9 140 0 5.2 -0.4 8.8 2.9
2017 SDN MLB NL 120 417 .250 .316 .417 .260 90 -11.7 12.2 7.2 75 7 34.1 0.6 -12.0 4.2
2017 PDR Rk AZL 1 3 .264 .389 .407 .000 101 -0.8 0.1 0.1 24 0 0.0 0.0 -0.2 0.0
2018 SDN MLB NL 91 326 .240 .308 .395 .280 101 -4.2 9.1 5.3 88 10 11.8 -2.1 -3.6 2.1
2018 LEL A+ CAL 4 14 .241 .284 .373 .333 92 0.7 0.4 0.1 116 0 0.0 0.4 0.2 0.1
2018 ELP AAA PCL 7 31 .269 .334 .425 .500 103 4.9 0.9 0.4 151 0 0.5 0.0 2.0 0.4
2019 SDN MLB NL 102 347 .250 .321 .429 .228 98 -21.6 10.5 6.2 61 9 28.2 0.9 -16.0 2.9

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shownClick to hide.
Year Team lvl LG PA AB R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG ISO SF SH
2011 PDR Rk AZL 22 16 3 5 0 0 1 8 4 5 1 1 0 .313 .500 .500 .188 0 0
2011 EUG A- NOR 12 10 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3 0 0 .100 .250 .200 .100 0 0
2012 FTW A MID 373 337 44 94 28 0 10 152 56 23 62 14 9 .279 .334 .451 .172 4 2
2013 SAN AA TEX 75 67 4 15 3 0 0 18 8 6 9 3 1 .224 .297 .269 .045 0 1
2013 LEL A+ CAL 266 233 34 63 22 1 4 99 30 22 45 5 4 .270 .343 .425 .155 4 1
2014 SAN AA TEX 457 427 31 96 19 2 6 137 44 23 89 1 3 .225 .268 .321 .096 2
2015 SDN MLB NL 152 137 13 23 2 0 3 34 11 8 38 0 0 .168 .215 .248 .080 3 3
2015 ELP AAA PCL 79 71 12 23 8 0 2 37 15 8 8 1 0 .324 .392 .521 .197 0 0
2016 SDN MLB NL 26 24 2 3 1 0 0 4 1 0 7 0 1 .125 .154 .167 .042 1 0
2016 ELP AAA PCL 334 313 55 102 20 1 21 187 82 13 51 1 1 .326 .353 .597 .272 5 0
2017 SDN MLB NL 417 387 36 83 17 0 18 154 55 23 122 4 1 .214 .262 .398 .183 3 1
2017 PDR Rk AZL 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0
2018 LEL A+ CAL 14 12 1 4 1 0 0 5 1 1 1 0 0 .333 .357 .417 .083 1 0
2018 SDN MLB NL 326 303 29 70 14 2 14 130 37 21 90 3 0 .231 .282 .429 .198 1 0
2018 ELP AAA PCL 31 27 7 11 3 0 3 23 11 3 9 0 0 .407 .452 .852 .444 1 0
2019 SDN MLB NL 347 312 28 55 9 0 11 97 36 27 109 1 0 .176 .252 .311 .135 1 2

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr% CSAA
2015 529 0.5142 0.5161 0.7253 0.6544 0.3696 0.8427 0.5053 0.2747 -0.0015
2016 96 0.4792 0.5625 0.6852 0.6739 0.4600 0.8065 0.5217 0.3148 0.0000
2017 1517 0.4693 0.5274 0.6813 0.6924 0.3814 0.7951 0.4984 0.3188 0.0000
2018 1297 0.5004 0.4888 0.7208 0.6302 0.3472 0.8264 0.5289 0.2792 0.0000
2019 1365 0.4505 0.5048 0.6618 0.6667 0.3720 0.7902 0.4731 0.3382 0.0000
Career48040.47750.51000.69130.66380.36980.80760.50070.3087-0.0002

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation
2012-04-18 2012-04-26 Minors 8 8 - Not Disclosed -

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2024 CLE $4,000,000
2023 PIT $5,000,000
2022 CLE $4,000,000
2021 CLE $3,280,000
2020 SDN $3,000,000
2019 SDN $2,060,000
2018 SDN $553,100
2017 SDN $537,100
2016 SDN $
2015 SDN $
YearsDescriptionSalary
7 yrPrevious$18,430,200
2019Current$4,000,000
8 yrPvs + Cur$22,430,200
8 yrTotal$22,430,200

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
7 y 166 dBoras Corp.1 year/$4M (2024)

Details
  • 1 year/$4M (2024). Signed by Cleveland as a free agent 12/10/23.
  • 1 year/$5M (2023). Signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent 12/17/22. Acquired by Texas in trade from Pittsburgh 8/1/23 with $1,639,785 remaining on contract.
  • 1 year/$4M (2022). Re-signed by Cleveland 3/22/22 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$3.28M (2021). Re-signed by Cleveland 1/15/21 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$3M (2020). Re-signed by San Diego 1/10/20 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$2.06M (2019). Re-signed by San Diego 1/11/19 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$553,100 (2018). Re-signed by San Diego 3/18.
  • 1 year (2017). Re-signed by San Diego 3/17.
  • 1 year/$509,500 (2016). Re-signed by San Diego 3/16.
  • 1 year (2015). Contract selected by San Diego 5/4/15.
  • Drafted by San Diego 2011 (2-82) (JSerra HS, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.). $3M signing bonus.

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ VORP FRAA WARP
90o 56 14 3 0 2 4 13 0 0 .275 .339 .451 112 0.0 C 2 0.0
80o 37 10 2 0 2 3 9 0 0 .294 .351 .529 105 0.0 C 1 0.0
70o 24 5 1 0 1 2 6 0 0 .227 .292 .409 99 0.0 C 1 0.0
60o 12 3 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 .273 .333 .364 95 0.0 C 0 0.0
50o 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 91 0.0 C 0 0.0
Weighted Mean410000100.250.250.250920.0C 00.0

The rest of this card is restricted to Baseball Prospectus Subscribers.

Not a subscriber? Click here for a free card so you can see what's missing.

Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or to subscribe and get instant access to the best baseball content on the web.

BP Annual Player Comments

The rest of this card is restricted to Baseball Prospectus Subscribers.

Not a subscriber? Click here for a free card so you can see what's missing.

Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or to subscribe and get instant access to the best baseball content on the web.

BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Austin Hedges

BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2019-04-26 16:00:00 (link to chat)Why did the Padres use trade assets for Mejia, a guy they don't like?
(Freddy from Elm Street)
Feels like it has more to do with liking Austin Hedges's defense. It's still really frustrating, though. (Mark Barry)
2018-11-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)You think the Mets will trade Noah? Who will provide more value this year--Noah or Cano AND Diaz?
(Manny from NY)
I think it's a coin flip, which I know this is super useful analysis. The Mets for whatever reason are super sensitive about the back pages. Cano wins them the back pages, a Syndergaard deal could be a bloodbath in the press without something better than Austin Hedges coming back. I think there is some internal desire to trade him, let's say that. (Jeffrey Paternostro)
2017-03-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)How good "could? Austin Hedges be if he is Hunter Renfroe at catcher? Which is not the craziest of outcomes at this point...
(Jim from SD)
That is basically power over hit Buster Posey so... (Jeffrey Paternostro)
2017-03-09 20:00:00 (link to chat)I know he might have a small injury today but that said...what do you make of Austin Hedges? 10 team NL league under big time rebuild with plenty of picks. What does he look like in 4 years? .260/330 15 HR. Again big rebuild and I have Murphy and Alfrao...again thanks
(Accudart from VT)
We didn't even hear about the injury! It's definitely just about time to wrap this chat up and watch some baseball. From our perspective, he's never been able to hit, but the scouty people are saying positive scouty things, and he wouldn't be the first catcher whose bat broke out at a late age. You're welcome to take the risk, but he's not a player we'd ever go out to grab. As One True Outcome said, consider this answer as a way to Hedges our bet. (Ben Murphy, Ian Lefkowitz and Jared Weiss)
2016-12-01 19:00:00 (link to chat)What can us fans expect out of Austin Hedges stat line? Top ten fantasy catcher?
(Craig from SD)
13-15 home runs, .260 batting average if he starts. That doesn't put him in the Top 10 for me. (Mike Gianella)
2017-01-18 20:00:00 (link to chat)Does Austin Hedges have 20 home run power?
(Harry from SD)
In the PCL, sure. In the majors, nope. (Bret Sayre)
2016-07-05 19:00:00 (link to chat)Is Austin Hedges the next Babe Ruth?
(padremurph from Los Angeles)
Hah! No, but he sure looks like he can hit some homers right now. Of course, the PCL is pretty darn power friendly, so that could just be the triple-A mirage. (Kate Morrison)
2015-06-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)I was in the ballpark for Austin Hedges' first career homer yesterday. What are the odds he ever becomes a starter?
(Alex from Anaheim)
Are we talking about starting for a few seasons, or for half a decade? If it's the former, then I would say very high. This isn't a Christian Bethancourt situation, where Hedges is 90 percent arm and nothing else. Hedges is a more complete defender, and I think we've seen how those types can latch on as starters without producing much with the bat-be it Mike Matheny, Brad Ausmus, young Yadier Molina, Jose Molina, Rene Rivera, whoever. Is a team going to build around Hedges, or make him a lifer? No; he's not going to hit enough for that-but employing Hedges as a starter until they find an upgrade? Yeah. Absolutely. (R.J. Anderson)
2015-04-22 14:00:00 (link to chat)What do you make of Austin Hedges fast start? Product of the PCL environment or an improvement to his game?
(padremurph from Los Angeles)
I think a combination of both is the answer, but he is close to major league ready so we will see how well those adjustments last at the big league level. (CJ Wittmann)
2015-04-22 14:00:00 (link to chat)AUSTIN HEDGES is hitting! Is it just a PCL mirage, small sample, or some good signs?
(sdsuphilip from San Diego )
Combo of all three. But he is almost ready so we might see if those good signs are real at the MLB level. (CJ Wittmann)
2015-03-25 19:00:00 (link to chat)See any of Austin Hedges in Arizona? Thoughts?
(padremurph from Los Angeles)
Hedges is somehow becoming a divisive prospect. All the sudden, people are souring on him because he didn't hit well in 2014. The glove is clearly far in front of the bat, but I just don't understand the rush here. Catchers take longer to develop in general, and his defense is good enough where you can plug the guy in for ten years and not have to worry about the position. (Jordan Gorosh)
2015-02-12 19:00:00 (link to chat)Will Austin Hedges ever hit?
(Chipshot212 from MA)
I don't know. I've seen him across two seasons now, and while the glove is an awe-inducing thing, the bat is...not. I saw a few BP sessions from him last year, and he didn't impress me there or at the plate. Of course, catchers can be notoriously slow to develop offensively, so there's still hope, but I wouldn't bet on him ever being known as much of an offensive asset. (Kate Morrison)
2015-02-09 20:00:00 (link to chat)How much consideration goes into creating a buzz with these lists? If it's fair to assume you wouldn't trade a prospect for the one listed directly below him, does it make sense that a guy like David Dahl is listed lower than Austin Hedges? Swihart/Stephenson, Rodon/Mazara?
(Pete from St Pete)
Not much to be honest. It all comes down to how we value the particular players and how things as a whole are going to play. I wouldn't look at things in terms of trading players as well. That's a pref list. This is a top prospect list, with multiple factors like upside, risk, proximity, floor, developmental stages, belief in whether tool gaps will be closed, etc. factored into the equation (Top 101 Chat)
2015-01-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)Would San Diego be happy if Austin Hedges became Mike Zunino-like at the plate ~ .200 avg 18-20 HR? If catchers (who are also generally not assets on the base paths) struggle to hit .230-.240 anyway, why not just have them sell out for power?
(Shawn from Cubicle)
I don't like that line of thinking. One of Hedges's greatest assets in the box is his feel for the strike zone. Part of the problem in 2014 is he WAS selling out for power, and as a result his swing got out of whack and his contact wasn't clean. So, Double-A arms kept challenging him in the zone and his ability to work for walks was essentially negated. My humble opinion (and I'm not a pro dev guy, so what take it for the little that it's worth) his focus needs to be on getting his swing back to where it was circa acquisition and the early stages of his pro development. He's going to be a solid gap power guy if he can get back to that point, but it requires reps and reps and developmental focus to keep your swing in check for most players. That's one of the biggest issues with drafting and developing high school catchers -- both the defensive and offensive aspect of the game generally require a lot of attention, and a player only has so much developmental bandwidth. He is still highly ranked on the 101, and I'm very much a believer he will figure things out. (NL West Top 10s With Nick Faleris)
2014-12-11 18:00:00 (link to chat)How do you profile C Austin Hedges? If SD trades Grandal when do you see him in The Show? Does he have enough bat? Thanks!
(fishersehorn31 from The 540)
Well, with Grandal officially dealt, Hedges becomes the heir apparent, though his time is not going to be the outset of the 2015 season. The defensive game could stand the MLB test right now, but the bat still needs to develop. With the dearth of dual threat catchers in MLB, Hedges will carry significant value whether he develops a substantial offensive profile or not. I think Hedges can post a decent average and some gap power once he fully evolves his offensive game, but it may take a while to get there. Good thing his defensive profile can carry the load in the meantime. (Mark Anderson)
2014-09-10 12:00:00 (link to chat)In a dynasty league (batting stats only), would you keep Francisco Mejia over Austin Hedges? It seems like Hedges' progress with the bat really stalled in AA this year.
(Larry from Austin)
I am really not the guy to answer this. My fantasy ability is equivalent to the taste of a pumpkin beer.

Mejia has the higher offensive ceiling, no doubt. But he's not even remotely close to the majors. (Tucker Blair)
2014-09-10 12:00:00 (link to chat)Chris Mellen had a good write-up on Francisco Mejia today. Is he the best catching prospect behind Blake Swihart, Austin Hedges, and Jorge Alfaro?
(Shawnykid23 from CT)
Excellent write-up. Mellen is terrific, and people are going to begin seeing more of that down the road.

I have not seen Mejia yet, but I think he has a chance to slip in somewhere behind them. (Tucker Blair)
2014-09-03 14:00:00 (link to chat)How is Austin Hedges rated so highly when the bat is so bad? I know the defense is legit, but so was Bethancourt's and he was never rated as highly. Seems like far too much pass is given for him.
(Tom from Nevada)
He's a better defender than Bethancourt, don't let the snap throws fool you. Hedges has had a down year, but still possesses the upside of a top 3 defensive catcher in the game, and anything he gives you with the bat is a bonus. He still could hit an empty 260-270 and be a ridiculously valuable player. (Jordan Gorosh)
2014-09-03 14:00:00 (link to chat)Your starting a team and can pick 1 catching propsect- Austin Hedges, Jorge Alfaro, or Blake Swihart- who you taking?
(Shawn from Cubicle)
Going to go with Alfaro just because of sheer upside. Hedges is right behind, but Alfaro does some stuff on a baseball field that humans just should not be able. (Jordan Gorosh)
2014-08-06 16:30:00 (link to chat)If you were forced to BBQ and eat one piece of baseball equipment what would it be?
(@wesyee from Riding Shotgun with Jason Parks' Favorite Clown)
Jordan: Austin Hedges' EvoShield

Jake: BBQ sunflower seeds (Cespedes Family BBQ)
2014-06-26 14:00:00 (link to chat)Thanks for the chat! Did Swihart make the top 25? What type of offensive ceiling does he bring to the table? How does he stack up with Alfaro, G. Sanchez, and the other top catching prospects?
(Kevin from DC)
C'mon Kevin. You know I can't give away company secrets. I'll tell you this: the BP prospect team likes Swihart quite a bit. His offensive ceiling isn't nearly as high as Alfaro, but he's almost a sure bet to be an everyday catcher. Austin Hedges is still a guy to keep in that discussion, too. (J.P. Breen)
2014-01-29 19:00:00 (link to chat)What do you think of Tucker Barnhart? How do you evaluate and predict a catchers defensive ability, game management, and all those other "intangibles" for a catcher. Maybe those skills don't directly relate to fantasy, but I think they indirectly affect your pitchers (especially the young ones---see Yadier Molina). I guess what I am asking is who is the next (either in the 2014 draft or in MiLB) Ron Karkovice, Gary Carter, Jim Sundberg, Roy Campanella and in my humble opinion, Yadier Molina?
(Eli from Boston)
This is probably a better question for Parks and the MiLB crew here. I'm not super familiar with Barnhart, as he's not a fantasy asset. I can tell you that the best defensive catching prospect right now is Austin Hedges, and Mr. Hedges is not a Top 100 fantasy name. (Ben Carsley)
2014-02-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)Who do you like more? Austin Hedges or Yasmani Grandal?
(padremurph from Los Angeles)
Hedges, but don't rule out Grandal. He's been overlooked because of the suspension and injury, but he can still do a lot of things well. (Jeff Moore)
2014-01-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)How much will C Austin Hedges hit? Realistic MLB slash line & how many HRs per year? Thanks!
(fishersehorn31 from VA - The 540)
At his best, something like .270/.350/.460 with mid-teens homers. More likely: .250/.320/.420 w/10-13 HRs and amazing work behind the plate (Sal Perez's 2013 without the AVG). (Paul Sporer)
2014-01-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)How much will Austin Hedges hit? What will be his average slash line?
(fishersehorn31 from VA - The 540)
With his defensive abilities, I'm not sure it really matters how much he hits. That may be a slight exaggeration, but not much. In reality, I think he's a decent hitter that can hit .260-.270 with gap power; combine that with his defense and that's a helluva player. (Mark Anderson)
2014-01-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)best long-term overall catching prospect (balancing risk vs. ceiling)?
(fishersehorn31 from VA - The 540)
Austin Hedges. (Mark Anderson)
2013-11-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Austin Hedges or Jorge Alfaro?
(TPX2 from Taiwan)
Alfaro has the highest ceiling. But if I'm starting a team, I'm taking Hedges. (Jason Parks)
2013-11-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)Austin Hedges - viable in a 12 teams NL only?
(comish4lif from Alexandria, VA)
That type of format, yes. He does have some pop. (Bret Sayre)
2013-08-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is Austin Hedges worth driving 3+ hours to see in San Antonio because he DH'd the last day of the Frisco series?
(K. from Frisco)
He'll likely be back in San Antonio to open the 2014 season, so if you don't mind waiting awhile, you don't need to make that drive. But I'll be down in San Antonio for the Frisco series next week. Austin Hedges, Matt Wisler, Rougned Odor, Luis Sardinas, Luke Jackson, and more. That's a fun series. (Jason Cole)
2013-07-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is Austin Hedges the best defensive catching prospect of all time?
(padremurph from San Diego)
No. He's the best defensive prospect I have ever seen, but my experience is limited to the last ~8 years. (Jason Parks)
2013-06-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Where would you rank Austin Hedges?
(cqb0316 from San Diego)
#13 in the world (Jason Parks on the Midseason Top 50 Prospects)
2013-06-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)What, if anything, would you need to see from Austin Hedges to feel more confident in his offensive future? Or is the bat just gravy?
(Bryant from San Diego)
He's a tough out at the plate, but that doesn't really show up in the stats. The bat is gravy, but the bat is also the difference between a major league regular and something more substantial. Everybody loves biscuits but biscuits and gravy are superior. Hedges' defense is already biscuits. Any progression with the bat and the product starts to get really delicious. (Jason Parks on the Midseason Top 50 Prospects)
2013-04-16 20:00:00 (link to chat)Can you rank these guys please. Thanks! Marcus Stroman, Didi Gregorius, Jorge Alfaro, Austin Hedges, Daniel Norris, Lance McCullers, Bryce Brentz, Daniel Corcino, Clayton Blackburn, Delino DeShields.
(Brandon from Pittsburgh)
DeShields, Blackburn, McCullers, Alfaro, Brentz, Stroman, Hedges, Norris, Corcino, Gregorius. (Bret Sayre)
2013-04-03 14:00:00 (link to chat)Who has a higher ceiling? Austin Hedges or Yasmani Grandal?
(padremurph from San Diego)
I nearly always, as a rule, pick the younger player for "ceiling" questions because the range of possibilities shrinks exponentially as we near death. But Grandal. (Sam Miller)
2013-03-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)Who are a few of your favorite players this season? (MLB or minor)
(Batpoet from San Diego)
Hi Batpoet, always good to see my Twitter friends here; glad you could join us! At the big-league level, I have a fondness for guys who attended my alma mater or who I saw play a lot in the minors. That would include A.J. Griffin, Oliver Perez, Kyle Blanks, Headley. Current minor leaguers? Austin Hedges, who I look forward to watching at Lake Elsinore. And of course, Billy Hamilton, who is just so disruptive. I doubt I'll ever get tired of watching him play. (Geoff Young)
2013-02-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)Hey Paul I'm in a deep dynasty league. Current catchers on my roster are Ramos, Derek Norris, and Austin Hedges. Needless to say I'm screwed. I have two first round picks for new prospetcs this year and usually I just go for best prospect available regardless of positional needs. Should I take Mike Zunino or stick to drafting the best player available?
(JL from Chicago, IL)
Stick to the best. I actually like Ramos this year, though it'll take a while for him to get going as he'll back up Suzuki to start. (Paul Sporer)
2012-12-28 13:00:00 (link to chat)How much do you love Austin Hedges? His power numbers this past year were WAY over expectations, right? Eta 2015 as Padres starting C reasonable?
(Andrew from St. Paul)
Hi Andrew, thanks for the question. I adore Hedges, hopped on that bandwagon before it became cool ("their earlier stuff was awesome, then they went all corporate"). I think 2015 sounds reasonable, depending on what happens with Grandal and possibly even Hundley. Either way, the Padres are in an enviable position with so much talent behind the dish. (Geoff Young)
2012-10-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)Will Nick Hundley get non-tendered? Seems to me that the organization has soured on him greatly over the last year.
(jlarsen from chicago)
Hi jlarsen, thanks for the question. The Padres signed Hundley to a 3-year, $9 million deal last March so he'll be in the mix. I don't know that the Padres have soured on him since then so much as they've witnessed the emergence of Yasmani Grandal, who appears to the be club's catcher of the present and future (at least until Austin Hedges is ready, which creates a nice "problem"). Assuming his right knee is healthy, Hundley gives the Padres an insurance policy for Grandal and could have trade value to another team. (Geoff Young)
2012-10-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)Who are your favorite players not yet legal to drink in this country? Which of them might play in the big league without being able to sip the victory champagne due to their youth?
(sitdancer from DC)
I'm a huge Austin Hedges fan, but he won't be up anytime soon. Off the top of my head, and without doing actual research, I'd think Manny Machado is a good bet to be there next year at age 20. (Geoff Young)
2012-10-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)who was the best defensive player you saw this year?
(xxx from yyy)
On the prospect side? Lindor at SS; Engel Beltre plays a pretty defense in the OF; Austin Hedges behind the plate; Tom Verducci showed some serious defense when I approached for a little touchy touchy (Jason Parks)
2012-09-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)Austin Hedges or Blake Swihart? Who would you rather have at this stage of their development and who do you think will be end up being better?
(Liam from Dallas)
Give me Hedges or give me death! He has a chance to be a ++ defensive catcher at the major league level. Very rare. (Jason Parks)
2012-08-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)You had Austin Hedges at #30 in your updated top #50. How would you evaluate his offensive ceiling? Is the ranking largely based on his elite defense?
(Liam from Dallas)
It was based on many ways on the offense. The defense is as good as advertised. He's just tremendous behind the plate, and among, if not the best defensive catcher I've ever seen at this level. Now that it looks like he can hit a bit, he's a huge prospect. (Kevin Goldstein)
2012-07-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)We know you'll miss Adys Portillo as he's ticketed to San Antonio, but who else do you look forward to seeing in Lake Elsinore as a possible late-season promotion?
(Bryant from San Diego)
I would love to see Peterson or Austin Hedges, maybe Wisler. Given his age (22), Peterson seems the most likely. (Geoff Young)
2012-06-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)The reports of Austin Hedges defensive acumen are well known, but how is the hit tool and power progressing? Also, is his defensive chops as good as advertised?
(RichW from New Jersey)
The bat will most likely always be behind the glove, but the bat has received positive reviews this season. The defense is beyond legit. I had a scout tell me that he could catch in the majors right now based on his receiving skills, his catch and throw skills, and his ability to work/communicate the game plan to pitchers. (Jason Parks)
2012-02-23 11:00:00 (link to chat)rebuffed by Karsten Whitson. Is having Joe Ross heal that wound?
(Hugo from walkonair@mindspring.com)
I'm not sure that anything can heal the wound inflicted by the Whitson situation, but between Ross, Cory Spangenberg, and Austin Hedges, the Padres managed to make lemonade. At least one of those guys should turn into something. Hedges in particular intrigues me. (Geoff Young)


BP Roundtables

No BP Roundtables have mentioned this guy.

Advanced Catching Metrics

Year lvl CSAA Framing Runs Blocking Chances EPAA Blocking Runs SB Attempts SRAA TRAA Throwing Runs FRAA Adj. FRAA
2011 asx .000 0.0 135 -.001 0.0 4 .008 .001 0.0 0.0 0.1
2012 afx .000 0.0 4206 -.002 2.3 129 -.011 .004 0.8 3.0 3.0
2013 aax .022 4.3 723 -.001 0.1 15 .039 -.002 -0.3 5.5 4.0
2013 afa .000 0.0 2684 -.001 0.6 75 -.040 .000 1.9 2.7 3.8
2014 aax .027 32.8 4887 -.001 1.5 113 -.066 -.005 4.7 40.5 36.8
2015 mlb .026 9.3 1842 -.002 1.2 42 -.011 .000 0.2 10.6 10.4
2015 aaa .023 4.0 773 -.001 0.1 12 -.009 -.001 0.1 4.4 5.1
2016 mlb -.005 -0.3 255 -.004 0.2 4 -.015 -.002 0.0 2.1 0.0
2016 aaa .005 4.3 0 .000 0.0 57 -.013 .000 0.5 5.5 5.2
2017 mlb .027 28.0 4537 -.001 1.3 60 -.055 -.005 2.2 30.3 34.1
2018 afa .000 0.0 0 .000 0.0 0 .000 .000 0.0 0.0 0.0
2018 mlb .016 13.0 3674 .000 0.1 51 .010 -.001 -0.4 12.6 11.8
2018 aaa .006 0.4 46 -.001 0.0 8 -.007 .002 0.0 0.4 0.5
2019 mlb .029 26.0 3936 -.001 1.5 32 -.016 -.001 0.3 27.8 28.2

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC

 

PITCHf/x Hitter Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC