San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges has long been lauded as one of the best, if not the best, defensive catcher in the MLB.
Lacking a Gold Glove award due to his sub par offense, Hedges consistently rates high in pitch calling, framing, blocking and handling his pitchers.
He possesses an above-average throwing tool with fewer and fewer runners attempting to steal on him.
The obvious downside to Hedges’ game is his offense. Once considered by many to be the top catching prospect in baseball, Hedges has failed to develop a consistent offensive approach and has been unable to sustain any offensive momentum.