Players / Player profile
CLE · C

Austin Hedges

Age 34 B/T R/R 6′0″, 220 lb USA MLB debut 2015
40-man
  • Free agent est. 1 yr × $4.2M ($2M–$10M) · +0.2 wins to Pittsburgh’s Winter Plan as a bench bat
xwOBA .290 wOBA .340
2026 fWAR 0.9
Projected 2027 WAR 0.5 Keystone Marcel+ at 307 PA

Hitting · 2026

248 PA: percentiles need 300+, so values only

xwOBA .290 xwOBA: .290
Swing decisions +0.54 Swing decisions: +0.54
Contact value −1.55 Contact value: −1.55
Bat speed 69.0 Bat speed: 69.0
Squared-up / swing 24% Squared-up / swing: 24%
Blasts / swing 5% Blasts / swing: 5%
EV90 101.5 EV90: 101.5
Barrel % 4.5% Barrel %: 4.5%
Chase % 25.4% Chase %: 25.4%
Zone contact 85.7% Zone contact: 85.7%
Strikeout % 18.1% Strikeout %: 18.1%
Walk % 10.1% Walk %: 10.1%

Platoon splits · swing path

By pitcher handedness

vsPAwOBAxwOBAK%BB%ChaseDecisionsContact
LHP130.373.31612%13%23%+0.81−1.96
RHP118.305.26125%7%27%+0.25−1.02
Attack angle
9.3° (61% in 5–20°)
Attack direction
−6.8°
Swing length
7.2 ft
Fast-swing rate
7%
Pull-air %
18.2%
Hard-hit %
32.4%
Slash · wRC+
.246/.325/.377 · 100

Zone map · 2026

Where he does damage, and where to pitch him

−0.3−1.1+1.3+2.2+1.0+1.1+0.2+0.8−0.9+1.1+0.6+5.3−4.3−0.4+1.0−0.1−0.9+0.6−1.2−1.0+0.5+1.6+1.1+0.5+0.7RHB

Does the most damage middle-in (+5.3 vs. league per 100; 2.3 standard errors on 40 pitches, inside the noise for the best of nine cells).

Weakest middle-middle (−4.3), but only 2.0 standard errors from average on 75 pitches: no in-zone spot to attack yet.

Runs per 100 pitches vs. an average RHB: better · worse. Catcher’s view · 869 pitches · faded cells are within one standard error of average. A spot is called only when it is farther from average than the best or worst of nine average cells gets 95% of the time (set from the league’s own pitches: about 3 standard errors above, 2 below).

Most similar hitters

Swings like Hedges: bat path, contact quality and approach

SimilarityPlayerxwOBA’26 WAR’27 proj2027
77Travis Bazzana CLE · ’02.3002.82.4Pre-arb
68Nick Sogard BOS · ’97.3151.20.9Pre-arb
67Andruw Monasterio BOS · ’97.289−0.8−0.2Arb
67Cooper Pratt MIL · ’04.3201.71.9Signed $3.9M
66Kyle Tucker LAD · ’97.3330.92.6Signed $87.0M

Nearest neighbours on bat speed, swing length, attack angle, squared-up and blast rates, EV90, barrels, pull-air, chase, zone contact, K% and BB%. 2026 regulars only.

Fielding

2027 rating at every position he can play · OAA by position · range by direction · tools. Same engine as the Fielding Lab and the Winter Plan.

2027 rating by position · best fit first, on the total with the position’s worth
C +6.8 +19.3
1B −2.0prior −17.5
Outs Above Average by position
SeasonPosOAARangeArm, DPRunsBatters
No MLB fielding yet.

Runs = range plus his arm and double-play runs spread over his positions by outs (Fielding Run Value, from 2023): what the rating counts.

Range by direction (OAA)

No directional data (needs a qualified season at one position).

Tools (percentile among MLB fielders)
Arm strength —
Sprint speed 24.5 ft/s · 3rd
Zone rating (Keystone expected outs)
SeasonZoneBallsOuts vs. exp.
Too few balls in his zone.

The zone rating counts every ball hit to his part of the field while he played there, his club’s positioning included; Savant OAA uses his actual starting spot and is the better individual grade. They agree best in the outfield. See the model card.

Compare in the Fielding Lab →

Contract & projection

Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR

2027 0.5 WAR Free agent
2028 0.0 WAR Free agent
2029 −0.4 WAR Free agent
2030 −0.8 WAR Free agent

A pending free agent: no club controls his 2027. Contract Studio →

ABS challenges · 2026

Baseball Savant

As batter 33% 1/3 won · −0.5 runs
As catcher 51% 37/73 won · −0.5 runs
Keystone is an independent portfolio project. It is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or any club. Data: MLB Stats API, Baseball Savant, FanGraphs. Used under their terms for individual, non-commercial use.