LOS ANGELES – In a sport with no shortage of numbers, one figure stands out to MLB players as the ultimate benchmark of an accomplished career: 10.
According to the MLB Players Association, fewer than one-tenth of big leaguers have ever reached the 10-year service-time mark. On Monday, Guardians catcher Austin Hedges became the latest to accomplish the feat.
Hedges, who was selected in the second round of the 2011 Draft by the Padres, made his MLB debut in 2015 and is in his second stint with Cleveland, where he has said he intends to finish his career. He’s one of six primary catchers on an active MLB roster to have played in 12+ MLB seasons, along with Salvador Perez, Travis d'Arnaud, James McCann, J.T. Realmuto and Christian Vázquez.
So what does this milestone mean to the veteran backstop?
“Honestly everything,” Hedges said prior to the Guardians’ series opener against the Dodgers.
“It’s the one goal that we all try to get to,” Hedges said. “Pay attention to the guys that have gotten it in the past, just the utmost respect for surviving in this game that’s really hard for a long time, and I’m really, really proud of it.”
Hedges capped off his special day by going 2-for-4 and scoring two runs as the Guardians won, 4-2.
“The baseball gods were on my side today, and they appreciate the grind,” he joked.
“He’s the captain, he’s the leader of this team,” said manager Stephen Vogt. “He’s one of the great people in our game, and obviously probably the best defensive catcher in the last 15 years as well.
“What he brings to our team, both on the field and in the clubhouse, is immeasurable, it’s invaluable. ... For any player to get 10 years in this league, you’re doing a lot of things really, really well, and Austin’s no different to that. But the teammate he is, the person he is, the leader he is, we would not be the team we are without Austin Hedges, and he’s a pretty good baseball player, too.”
Hedges listed Vogt and Sandy Alomar Jr., Cleveland’s first-base and catching coach, among the many mentors he’s had in the game.
“Going back in time when I was young in this game, so many guys helped me speed my process up,” Hedges said. “What experience I have, if I can give some guidance to some young guys going through a hard time, I know how far that goes. I know how long that goes with them. I look forward to doing it every day.”
One of those players has been Bo Naylor, the primary half of Cleveland’s catching tandem.
“He’s part of the heartbeat of this team,” Naylor said of Hedges. “He comes in every day and is the same guy, and that’s something that’s hard to do. What he does for this team, the type of leader that he is, keeping everyone in line and making sure that our heads are all in the right spot, it’s special and it’s something that nobody takes for granted.”
Naylor lauded Hedges for helping teammates stay true to themselves amid a wave of analytics.
“It’s really trusting in yourself, trusting in your instincts, and going out there with a plan and doing everything you can to execute it,” Naylor said. “And I think that’s one of the main things that he emphasizes is, outside of all the planning and the numbers and the data, it’s, ‘How can you be a baseball player, live in the moment and ultimately be the best version of yourself?’”
Hedges won a ring with Texas in 2023 -- he played in 17 games for the Rangers after being traded midseason -- but said winning with Cleveland is his ultimate goal.
“I just want to win,” he said. “I got a taste of winning a championship, and nothing would mean more to me in the world than winning one here in Cleveland.”
While Hedges plans to play “until they rip the jersey off me,” he said he has no desire to ever leave the game.
“I love baseball so much,” Hedges said. “I love being part of winning ballgames collectively, and so whatever that means, it’ll be a family decision whenever that time comes.”
In the meantime, Hedges is soaking up every moment.
“The first dream is get to the big leagues, and the second dream is to stay as long as you can, to get to that magic 10-year mark,” Hedges said. “Feels a lot longer than 10 years, but worth it every second of it.”