RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target ~270
CURRENT ADP: 295
ANALYSIS: Austin Hedges has long been regarded as an elite defensive catcher, but he didn’t really reach top prospect status until he started tearing up the high minors at the plate in 2015. In two seasons at Triple-A in 2015 and 2016, he slashed .326/.361/.583 in 413 plate appearances, after hitting just .225/.272/.314 in 532 plate appearances in Double-A from 2013 to 2014. His ISO went from .112 before 2016 to .255 in 2016, and he started driving the ball more, with a ground ball rate of 35 percent, down from 45 percent in years prior.
That was so big of a jump that the offense-friendly Pacific Coast League couldn’t possibly explain all of it. This looks to have all the makings a guy making adjustments and figuring things out at the plate, taking his offense to the next level. Hedges earned eventual call-ups to the big leagues in 2015 and 2016, and has only hit .161 in 64 games at the major league level, but that didn’t stop the Padres from clearing the way for him to become their starting backstop this season by trading veteran Derek Norris to the Nationals.
Now it’s Hedges’ chance to show the fantasy world what he can do with an everyday, big-league gig. I’d hesitate to call him a sleeper at this point, as the expectations for him are not exactly flying under the radar. Everyone loves the idea of getting a young, up-and-coming player, and pairing him with a veteran catcher on your fantasy roster could pay dividends if Hedges’ power translates to the major league level in 2017.
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