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On Friday evening against the Miami Marlins, Austin Hedges stepped to the plate in the fifth inning. He eventually reached base on a single to center field and later came around to score on a sacrifice fly; his sixth hit in nine games.
That run ended up being the difference maker in the Cleveland Guardians’ 3-2 victory over their National League opponent.
Earlier this week, against the Minnesota Twins, Patrick Bailey uncorked a towering home run to deep right field, which came off the bat at 103.1 mph and traveled an estimated 384 feet.
The Guardians are a team that values defense, game management, and run prevention from their backstops. That’s still the case with the Bailey-Hedges duo, but the tandem is also giving Cleveland an unexpected boost in offensive production.
Hedges, especially, is in the midst of an unforeseen career year at the plate. With just two games to play before the All-Star break, he owns a .289/.348/.414 slash line, and if Hedges’ .762 OPS holds, it would represent the best of his 11-season career.
Jul 9, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey (16) celebrates his solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Bailey’s offensive numbers aren’t as high as Hedges, but he’s been much better at the plate after being traded from the San Francisco Giants. Before the trade, Bailey had a .396 OPS on the season, but that’s jumped to .608 with the Guardians.
Cleveland’s catching duo has really impressed over the last six weeks, especially compared to other teams' offensive output.
The Guardians backstops have a combined .300/.342/.445 slashline since June 1. Their 122 wRC+ is ranked seventh-best in baseball over that stretch. Since the start of July, Cleveland’s catchers have posted a 219 wRC+, the best in MLB.
Overall, the offense needs to improve, and there are still plenty of holes to fill in the lineup, but the Bailey-Hedges tandem is doing their part, and then some at the plate,
It’s for Cleveland to ask for anything more than what they’re doing offensively right now.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
That run ended up being the difference maker in the Cleveland Guardians’ 3-2 victory over their National League opponent.
Earlier this week, against the Minnesota Twins, Patrick Bailey uncorked a towering home run to deep right field, which came off the bat at 103.1 mph and traveled an estimated 384 feet.
The Guardians are a team that values defense, game management, and run prevention from their backstops. That’s still the case with the Bailey-Hedges duo, but the tandem is also giving Cleveland an unexpected boost in offensive production.
Hedges, especially, is in the midst of an unforeseen career year at the plate. With just two games to play before the All-Star break, he owns a .289/.348/.414 slash line, and if Hedges’ .762 OPS holds, it would represent the best of his 11-season career.
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Jul 9, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey (16) celebrates his solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Bailey’s offensive numbers aren’t as high as Hedges, but he’s been much better at the plate after being traded from the San Francisco Giants. Before the trade, Bailey had a .396 OPS on the season, but that’s jumped to .608 with the Guardians.
Cleveland’s catching duo has really impressed over the last six weeks, especially compared to other teams' offensive output.
The Guardians backstops have a combined .300/.342/.445 slashline since June 1. Their 122 wRC+ is ranked seventh-best in baseball over that stretch. Since the start of July, Cleveland’s catchers have posted a 219 wRC+, the best in MLB.
Overall, the offense needs to improve, and there are still plenty of holes to fill in the lineup, but the Bailey-Hedges tandem is doing their part, and then some at the plate,
It’s for Cleveland to ask for anything more than what they’re doing offensively right now.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
