Padres call up top catching prospect Austin Hedges from Chihuahuas
Austin Hedges, regarded as one of the top catching prospects in baseball, is set to join the Padres on Monday before they open a series at AT&T Park against the Giants, according to a source.
Hedges, 22, has long been regarded as a top defensive catcher. He was hitting .343/.413/.552 in 75 plate appearances this season with the team’s Triple-A affiliate in El Paso. He also had two home runs and 15 RBIs.
Hedges, rated No. 50 byMLB Pipeline, will serve as the backup toDerek Norris.
Hedges was a second-round pick in 2011 out of Junipero Serra High in San Juan Capistrano, located about an hour north of San Diego.
Hedges was regarded as a strong defensive catcher when the team selected him and has since become better under the tutelage of several in the organization, like Brad Ausmus and A.J. Hinch, who have moved on to become managers of the Tigers and Astros, respectively.
Mayo: What to expect from Hedges
“I hate to anoint a Minor League player anything prior to his time, but there’s no reason why he can’t play in the big leagues for a long time,” Ausmus told MLB.com in November 2013.
Hedges’ Triple-A manager, Pat Murphy and, most recently, roving catching instructor Ryley Westman have helped the youngster as well.
This season, his hitting has improved after two rough seasons in the Texas League, where he hit .224 in 2013 and .225 a year ago.
Hedges was 0-for-4 Sunday playing for El Paso in a game in Sacramento. After the game, he was informed by Murphy that he was headed to the big leagues.
Known for his strong arm, ability to control the running game and receiving skills, Hedges had thrown out five would-be base stealers in 16 attempts, ninth-best in the Pacific Coast League.
This winter, Hedges spent time at Petco Park working with hitting coach Mark Kotsay, leaving the team encouraged that bigger things could be ahead.
“This year, I notice more maturity. He’s still young, but he’s getting closer to the big leagues. I think he is starting to understand our message of the pitcher-catcher relationship,” Padres manager Bud Black said in February.
Hedges, regarded as thePadres’ No. 2 prospectaccording to MLB.com, realized that many thought that his star had faded some because of his offensive struggles the past two seasons, as his name slipped down and, in some cases, off the list of top prospects in the game.
“I’m aware of almost all of those lists,” Hedges said in February. “But the second that I start thinking about negative thoughts … that won’t get me any better today.
“I realize I’m at a point in my career where there’s starting to be some negative things so I’m starting to take it the same way as if they were positive.”
Wil Nieves, who broke camp with the team as the backup catcher, appears to be the odd-man out. The 37-year-old hit .077 in 13 at-bats with his lone hit being a grand slam.
Source: San Diego Padres
