How Austin Hedges Has Become “Heart And Soul” Of Guardians
Austin Hedges isn’t going to be a hitter who finishes the season with a .300 batting average. He’s also not going to hit 40 home runs a year. But sometimes the value that a player brings to a winning team goes deeper than their stats.
The Cleveland Guardians are experiencing this firsthand by having Hedges back in their dugout after he spent the 2023 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and then winning a World Series after he was traded to the Texas Rangers.
Hedges showcased his value in Wednesday afternoon’s win over the New York Mets when he laid down a perfect bunt in the bottom of the sixth inning to start a rally for the Guardians which eventually gave them the lead.
Stephen Vogt said this was exactly the spark the team needed and he went on to give Hedges the best compliment a player can get from their manager.
“Austin Hedges is the heart and soul of this team,” said Vogt. “He finds a way to get the boys going no matter if it's with the bat, behind the plate, in the dugout, in the clubhouse. It’s just what he does. He is, he’s the heart and soul.”
How Hedges found himself in this role isn’t initially what he expected for his career. However, his time in majors has given him insight and knowledge that only a few players in this sport have and know how to share with others.
“I’ve always taken a lot of pride in helping guys out,” said Hedges.
“My career has gone in a direction that I didn’t necessarily anticipate. Everybody starts their career and expects to be a ten-time All-Star and be the best version of yourself. The reality is it just doesn’t always work out that way. For me, I love this game so much. I love being in the Big Leagues. I don’t take one day for granted.”
“I feel like I’ve been through enough in my career where I’ve learned some strategies of how to respond to failure and to things not going your way. But it takes those failures to learn them. You don’t just naturally know how to deal with it. I feel like it’s my role on this team to help guys learn from mistakes and learn how to have a strategy to respond.”
"We just don't take games off. We're here to play nine innings and we're here to treat each game like it is a playoff game."
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) May 22, 2024
Austin Hedges reflects on the @CleGuardians' mindset and how he's ended up with the role of clubhouse leader in his career.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/JxYj0w2iwb
(Hedges’ full responses and interview from Wednesday is a much-watch for any Guardians or baseball fan.)
Hedges’ value is immeasurable. The Guardians clearly missed his impact last season and part of their strong start can be attributed to him being back in the clubhouse. How Hedges helps mentor this young roster will leave a lasting impact on each player’s career.
TOMMY WILD