Former Texas Rangers Fan Favorite Takes Good Vibes to Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians are learning that Austin Hedges' impact off the field is far more important than his impact on the field.

Apr 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians Bo Naylor and Austin Hedges celebrate. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Austin Hedges was with the Texas Rangers for about three months. It was a fun three months for the backup catcher and for the Rangers.

The Rangers traded for him at the deadline using international bonus pool money as a safety net in case injured catcher Jonah Heim was out for an extended period. But Heim returned quickly from a thumb injury.

So, Hedges settled into a reserve role, reveling in the role of a clubhouse clown and giving the Rangers a jolt of chemistry that helped them down the stretch of the regular season. And, even though Heim caught every game of the playoff run, Hedges continued to ingratiate himself to teammates and fans alike.

He even vowed to wear a cowboy hat and assless chaps to the Rangers’ World Series parade until his mother talked him out of it.

But, after the parade, the baseball world kept spinning and Hedges needed a new home. A month later, he signed a free-agent deal with the Cleveland Guardians.

While the Guardians lost to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, they are 19-9 for the season and lead the American League Central by 2.5 games over the Kansas City Royals. Cleveland has one of the best records in baseball under first-year manager Stephen Vogt, who replaced the legendary Terry Francona.

Hedges isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire with the Guardians, as he’s batting .111 in eight games. But the Guardians are learning the same thing the Rangers did — that Hedges’ value isn’t wrapped up in statistics. It’s wrapped up in who he is.

“I think the biggest thing is Austin," outfielder Steven Kwan told the Akron Beacon-Journal last week. “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, 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."

Call it the Austin Hedges effect. It seems to work.