Austin Hedges thinks the Cleveland Guardians’ real edge isn’t some hidden metric or clubhouse slogan. It’s simpler than that: the group knows how to answer when things go sideways.
That matters right now, because Cleveland has hit a rough patch. The Guardians dropped two games behind the Chicago White Sox for first place in the AL Central after a crushing defeat on Tuesday, and they’ve now lost 7 of their last 11 games. They finished June at 10-15 after going 18-11 in May.
Even with that slide, Hedges pointed to the same trait that has helped define this team for years. Cleveland has reached the postseason in seven of the last ten seasons, a run that stands out for a club without the spending power of teams like the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys in here, and there’s a lot to learn in this game,” said Hedges, per Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com. “There’s a lot of ways to respond to situations.
The natural reaction is to react to situations. But I think what this group does really well is respond to things.
I think that’s why we win a lot of ball games. We also have a lot of belief in everybody here.”
That idea was put to the test Tuesday when Cooper Ingle made a costly mistake. Thinking the inning was over after recording the second out, he threw the ball into the stands instead of finishing the frame, and the Rangers scored the go-ahead run on the play in the seventh inning.
Hedges sees that moment as a test of how Ingle handles the next step, not just the mistake itself. The rookie has already handled it well publicly, apologizing to teammates and taking responsibility.
The bigger challenge now is making sure the error doesn’t linger and spill into his offense. Hedges believes this group is built to move past that kind of thing, and Ingle has a chance to show that over the next few days.
In Other News...
National Verdict On Guardians Says Everything About Their Season So Far
A national midseason glance at the Guardians ended up matching the feeling around the club pretty well: the run prevention has carried them, the bullpen has been sharp, and the whole operation has stayed on track despite stretches where the offense has not looked nearly as steady. Bleacher Reports Tim Kelly handed Cleveland an A grade at the halfway point, a nod to a team that has leaned hard on pitching depth and a late-inning relief group that has helped make close games feel manageable.
The bigger question now is whether that profile can hold if the bats do not come around soon enough. Kelly pointed to Stephen Vogts impact as a major reason the Guardians have stayed competitive, but the margin for error in the division is still thin, and the club will need to find some offense before the trade deadline if it wants to keep pushing beyond simply hanging around the race. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Hedges Is Delivering The One Thing Guardians Fans Never Expected
Austin Hedges has spent most of his Guardians tenure known for the part of the job that does not show up in a box score, but this season has brought a different kind of surprise. The veteran catcher has taken real steps at the plate, pairing the defense and leadership Cleveland has always valued with an offensive stretch that has given the lineup an unexpected lift and made his recent production impossible to ignore.
In a recent win over the Rangers, Hedges added his second home run of the season and helped drive in a run earlier in the game, another sign that the bat is no longer just a bonus for the Guardians. His progress has come from steady work on his swing and approach, and while the larger story around his offense still feels like it is unfolding, the early return is enough to make Cleveland take a second look at a player it has long trusted for very different reasons. [Read more 🡒]
Two Guardians Prospects Just Put Clevelands Pipeline Back In The Spotlight
The Guardians player-development operation is getting another national showcase next month, with a pair of young talents earning spots on the American League roster for the 2024 MLB Futures Game during All-Star Week. It is the kind of recognition that tends to follow a system that keeps producing, and Clevelands farm has once again put itself in the conversation with prospects who have climbed quickly enough to draw leaguewide attention.
Ralphy Velazquez has surged this season all the way to Columbus and now sits atop MLB Pipelines first-base rankings, while Cooper Ingle has turned a strong run in the International League into a place on the big-league roster. Together, they give the Guardians more evidence that the next wave is arriving, even if the bigger question is how soon that pipeline starts feeding the major-league club in a more permanent way. [Read more 🡒]