ANAHEIM -- Austin Hedges has been one of the Guardians’ best stories this season, as the defense-first catcher continues to enjoy a revival offensively. Monday night at Angel Stadium, he delivered one of his most memorable moments of the campaign to date.
Hedges, an Orange County native who hails from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., belted a two-run homer with his mom and dad, Pam and Charlie, in attendance. His sixth-inning long ball gave the Guardians a three-run lead in their 4-2 win over the Angels in the opener of a three-game series.
With their fifth straight win, the Guardians moved back to .500 (66-66) for the first time since the morning of Aug. 5 (57-57). They also took control of the final American League Wild Card spot, and sit just 2 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading White Sox (68-63).
“It feels good to get some results. I’ve worked really hard,” Hedges said of his production this season. “It’s cool to hit a homer in front of my mom. … [My parents] don't get to see too many in person, so that was pretty special.”
Hedges entered this season with a .185/.244/.313 slash line in 820 games over parts of 11 seasons. While he has long been renowned for his work behind the plate and leadership in the clubhouse, the 34-year-old’s bat has lagged behind. This season has marked a turning point.
In 199 plate appearances over 67 games, Hedges is hitting .270 with a .338 on-base percentage -- both of which would be new career highs. His .397 slugging percentage would be the third highest of his career, behind 2018 (.429) and ‘17 (.398).
Hedges finished the 2025 season on a high note by hitting .267 (8-for-30) with two home runs and four walks with five strikeouts over 12 September games. It was a small sample size, but he felt he unlocked something that could carry over to ‘26. For Hedges, being committed to a plan has been one of the biggest keys to his production this year.
“There's a lot of things. It's a day in and day out thing,” Hedges said. “But my whole career, I haven't committed. I try one thing one day, don't get a hit. Try another thing another day. Just a constant cycle, downward spiral, always searching. And I just made the decision in September last year: I'm not going to do that.
“I'm going to do my secret. … I’ve got a plan. It varies, but I’ve got a plan, and I commit to it. That's all. It's as simple as that. I’ve got a plan, and I commit to it.”
The Guardians led, 2-1, in the sixth inning on Monday when Hedges got a 2-1 slider from Angels reliever Blake Weiman. He hit it a Statcast-projected 393 feet to center field, over the yellow line that is a threshold for home runs in this ballpark.
At that moment, a roar emanated within the Guardians’ first-base dugout and amongst the fans sitting behind it.
Hedges has had some lean years at the plate, though his résumé also includes a stretch in which he hit 43 home runs across three seasons with the Padres from 2017-19. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt witnessed that up close during his own playing career, and has enjoyed seeing Hedges perform the way he has this season as his skipper.
“He dove in, and he's getting better, and it's just been a lot of fun to watch,” Vogt said. “Any time he does something like [his home run on Monday], the amount of energy it brings to us, and to all of us, it's huge.”
Before Hedges’ long ball, Jo Adell gave the Guardians the lead with an RBI single. Monday marked Adell’s first game at Angel Stadium since the Halos sent him to the Guardians before the Trade Deadline on Aug. 3. It all helped back another strong start by rookie Parker Messick, who pitched six innings and allowed one run on three hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
A lot can change between now and the end of September. The Guardians aren’t resting on their place in the standings with 30 games left in the season, but they are motivated to solidify the position they’ve put themselves in during this recent winning stretch.
“We’re right where we want to be,” Hedges said. “A week and a half ago, it probably wasn't the same thought, but that's how quickly it happens. Now we’ve got to hold it. Now we’ve got to keep going. A lot of season left. Every game's a playoff game from here on out.”