The Glue Guy: How Austin Hedges Became the Backbone of the Guardians

This is Part 2 of a three-part series, releasing every two days, highlighting the career of Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges, whose value to the clubhouse is at an all-time high. If you are interested in reading Part 1, click HERE, or Part 2, click HERE.

"It gets me out of bed in the morning."

That’s what Cleveland Guardians veteran catcher Austin Hedges said during the 2023 offseason when asked about mentoring the young players he was set to join.

A passion for helping others seems to be a recurring theme in Hedges' personality. No matter the stop on the journey or the clubhouse he sits in, he is always looking to be a rock for others to lean against.

"[It] felt like it took me three years in the big leagues to feel like I could call myself a big leaguer," Hedges said in that same 2023 interview with MLB.com. "Like you’re always looking in the mirror like, ‘Am I good enough?’ Like this is the best of the best in the world. Sometimes, we’re all vulnerable, insecure baseball players. Anybody that pretends like they aren’t, no, no, no. Everybody’s a vulnerable, insecure baseball player, and when things don’t go your way, you internalize it, and it’s hard.

“So, if I can speed that process up, where some of these guys, so it doesn’t take them three years to feel like they’re big leaguers and they belong here, then that’s the least I could do. Because once you feel like you belong, it’s such a freeing feeling to go actually do what you’re capable of doing.

And he can speak from experience.

Across his entire career, he had struggled at the plate. He was counted out and pushed to the side due to his offensive inconsistencies. But he made up for it in other ways.

Hedges' first year back with the Guardians wasn't any better offensively than it had been in years past. He posted a -0.6 WAR with a slashing line of .152/.203/.220 for an OPS worth .422, all while striking three doubles and two home runs for 15 RBI. That all came across 66 outings and 146 at-bats.

Cleveland Guardians, Austin Hedge — May 2, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (27) hits a solo home run against the Athletics during the third inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

He was never going to be a consistent or power-heavy hitter, but what he could do was embrace his role behind home plate and in the locker room.

In 2024, Cleveland was in a transitional process. The front office had cut ties with countless aging players, some of whom were still producing well, as they looked to open a new chapter and start fresh.

That season, the team had one of its youngest cores trying to establish itself in the big leagues.

Tyler Freeman, Will Brennan, Brayan Rocchio, Bo Naylor, Jhonkensy Noel, Angel Martinez, Gabriel Arias, Kyle Manzardo and Johnathan Rodriguez were all position players under the age of 26 who had suited up the red and navy blue that campaign. On the mound, the Guardians leaned into Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen and Gavin Williams to start paving the next generation of Guardians starting arms.

Each of them needed guidance, and Hedges was tasked at being one of the vocal leaders for the team.

“The rapport he builds with pitchers, even when he’s not in the game — just the way he converses with them, the energy he brings, the way he helps in game planning, we missed that a lot last year,” General Manager Mike Chernoff said in a 2024 interview with The Athletic. “That, in our minds, completely outweighs the offense.”

And somehow, someway, that young group of talented players started off the 2024 campaign with one of the best sprints in Cleveland's storied baseball history.

They went 17-6 to open the year, a mark that tied the best 23-game opening to a season in franchise history. Along the way, they posted a +55 run differential, which was the third-best in franchise history.

For the Guardians to have so many question marks that season, especially with it being manager Stephen Vogt's first season at the helm, Hedges' leadership and wisdom played a critical role in that early-season establishment.

When asked about what was going right in the clubhouse during that time, outfielder Steven Kwan signaled his praise towards the catcher.

"I think the biggest thing is Austin [Hedges]," said Kwan in an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal. "I think it's oversimplified, but when he's around saying dumb things, people aren't afraid to say dumb things. I think last year [A year where Hedges was in Pittsburgh and Texas], everybody was kind of hush-hush, quiet. Everybody just wanted to be really professional, but when you got a goofball doing it, everybody's personality is allowed to blossom."

Like he mentioned when signing with the team months earlier, Hedges wanted to open the team up. He wanted to make the youngsters feel comfortable and that they could be themselves.

The Guardians would go on to finish 92-69 that season, going first in the American League Central. In the playoffs, they would advance all the way through to the AL Championship Series, falling to the New York Yankees, 4-1.

But although the storybook return for Hedges wouldn't end with back-to-back World Series titles, it laid the foundation for a culture that could provide another ring down the line.

"I started realizing something that could be taken care of away from the field that not everybody is aware of, and the guys just bought into it so well that it kind of opened my eyes to the possibilities of ways to impact the game off the field," Hedges said in that same interview with the Akron Beacon Journal. "One of the reasons I'm back here is to kind of build on what we started in '22. Once everybody buys into something that's bigger than you, it's all about everybody else; everyone becomes the best version of themselves."

The 2025 and 2026 Seasons

He was only on a one-year deal, so after the conclusion of the 2024 season, questions again flew around Cleveland on whether or not he would return.

After all, with such high praise from the players, coaches and front office, it would be shocking to see the organization decide against returning "Hedgie" to the Guardians clubhouse without providing a good enough reason.

Well, unlike the previous time they let him walk, this time, the front office didn't go out and sign anyone. They sat back, thought about it and then decided that the best path forward would be to re-sign him. They weren't going to make up some reason why he didn't fit the team or say that his hitting wasn't good enough for a roster spot.

They invested in the clubhouse and the culture that was starting to make the team special, bringing back Hedges on that same $4 million salary he made the season prior.

And again, Hedges knew what his role was. He was in Cleveland to backup Naylor and continue to mentor him.

Oh, and also provide remarkable defense.

Heading into 2025, he had produced 91 Defensive Runs Saved over the last 10 years, which is the top mark in that statistic of any catcher in MLB during that time span.

With Cleveland's starting rotation struggling in 2024, but the bullpen thriving, the hope was that Hedges' comfort level could grow with starting arms, especially those youngsters like Bibee and Williams who were projected to be staples for years to come.

And help he did.

The Guardians, through bumps in the road, ended up finishing first in the AL Central yet again with a record of 88-74. Along the way, they created one of the most memorable storylines of the last 20 years of Cleveland baseball, coming all the way back from 15.5 games down to finish first in the division over the Tigers.

Hedges, while providing just 25 knocks and a .161 batting average that season, was still one of the backbones of the squad. But that humility that he possesses, which is sometimes overlooked, showed during this chapter of his story in Cleveland.

Instead of taking the praise and admiration from everyone that he was a main reason on why the Guardians found the success they did, Hedges turned and handed the spotlight to Vogt. Hedges complimented the way that he guided the team and kept the locker room calm through thick and thin, something that he has been able to bounce off of.

“We treat every single day the same, and that's his doing,” Hedges said in a late 2025 interview with MLB.com. “He's the same every day. [Associate manager Craig Albernaz] is the same every day. When we're going at our best, each player is the same every single day.

“[Vogt is] leading more than just the players. He's leading the coaches, staff. Everybody is here contributing every single day to help us win today, and it all starts with Stephen Vogt.”

After the year concluded, which saw an unfortunate first-round exit in the postseason, the question was yet again asked on whether or not Hedges would return to Cleveland.

He signed a deal following the 2023 campaign and another following the 2024 campaign, but now, he was up for another contract.

And if the rest of the league had been paying attention, he probably would have been flooded with contracts.

But instead of chasing a second World Series or going to a club that he could play every single day at, for the third time, Hedges signed a $4 million deal to stay in The Land.

“Whatever he's making, it's not enough," Vogt said when asked about Hedges this past offseason.

That wasn't all, though. Vogt went on to have an interview with the MLB Network and proclaimed his admiration for Hedges further.

“Austin Hedges is the leader of that clubhouse,” Vogt said in that interview. “He makes our pitchers better. He makes the position players better. He makes everyone around him better, and he's a really good catcher and a really good hitter. And the numbers may not always back it up, but he has a .750 OPS the last six weeks of the season.

"He can hit, he's a leader, he's elite, and the value that he brings our clubhouse and our team is invaluable.”

Having that sort of support from the head honcho had to have felt good for Vogt, especially when he had dished off similar praise to him months prior. The two seemingly have a tight bond. Maybe it's due to the fact both were catchers, or maybe it is simply because they both have a deep care for the people around them.

Whatever it is, Cleveland has to be feeling lucky that they somehow ended up with both in the same clubhouse.

In the 2026 campaign, all eyes were pointed towards Naylor, who was expected to take a massive leap at the catcher position and pretty much throw Hedges fully to the bench. He was entering what is expected to be a prime-type age, all while spending the entire offseason working on growing as a hitter and backstop.

But unfortunately, due to a combination of being unlucky and just having a tough time at the plate, Naylor hasn't lived up to those expectations.

However, Hedges has and some.

For the first time in his career, he is legitimately smashing the baseball. Through 14 games and 46 at-bats, Hedges has an outstanding 13 hits, four doubles and one home run for a slashing line of .310/.348/.476 for a high OPS of .824.

While it is unlikely that he will keep this up for the entire campaign, filling Naylor's void at the plate, all while providing exceptional defense, helps for the time being.

Not only is his on-the-field play elite right now, but his leadership has been working wonders for the pitching staff. Hedges has been primarily paired with rookie Parker Messick this season, helping guide him against some of the league's best bats.

Following Messick's first start of the 2026 season, which was a 4-2 win over the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the rookie starter couldn't rave enough about Hedges.

“I can’t put it into words what he means to the team," Messick said, who performed really well in his first start of the 2026 campaign. "I mean, he's everything from a… locker room leader… off the field leader to on the field game manager. He's probably going to be a phenomenal coach one day. And he just knows how to control the game..."

He went on to share that Hedges isn't just good at calling pitches, framing the ball or throwing runners out, but controlling his headspace.

"I told him in our pregame meeting, ‘if you see me getting too wild up, too fast during the game: full permission calm me down,'" said Messick. "'Like, look at me and tell me to calm down.' And he did that multiple times. You know, it's something very subtle, but he is so good at that, and he's such a leader to our team, I couldn't be more grateful as a young pitcher to have him as a catcher.”

Messick is on pace to be one of the top pitchers in baseball if he can continue his current track forward, posting a season ERA of 2.40 with a WHIP of 0.92 and batting average against of .193.

Obviously, a good chunk of that success can be attributed to the work that Messick has put in, but even as he says, having the trust of Hedges behind home plate goes a long way for his confidence and composure while on the mound.

The Guardians, moving into the heart of the season, can only hope that Hedges can keep doing what he is doing right now. He's hitting well, playing brick wall defense and providing the team with that veteran leadership in the locker room.

And after his final at-bat in the big leagues, whenever that may be, Cleveland can only hope that the longtime clubhouse staple will return one day, next time, as a coach.

Parts 1, 2 and 3 of "The Glue Guy" series are all now out. If you enjoyed it, feel free to recommend which player should be spotlighted next by tagging @CracasCade on X.

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