Guardians’ Austin Hedges gets biggest win of 2026 with incredible ballpark engagement

While MLB teams do their best to savor every win across the 162-game season, there are some things that can make wins worth a little bit more. Big wins. Record-setting performances. Or, in rare instances, something off the field that goes beyond the game. 

That third option played out on Sunday for Austin Hedges and the Cleveland Guardians, as the long-time Guardians’ catcher proposed to his girlfriend Lexi Dickinson following the Guardians’ 8-4 home win over the Orioles on Sunday. 

Hedges popped the question to Dickinson after the game by putting a message of “Lexi, will you marry me” on the Progressive Field jumbotron before getting on one knee and asking her in front of the Guardians’ dugout down the third base line, where he got an emphatic yes. 

Afterward, he told reporters that he’s had the ring since spring training but was waiting for the right moment to ask. 

While Hedges’ engagement obviously falls into a different category than his strong start to the season, it’s another example of how well things have gone for Hedges this season. 

Austin Hedges adds to Guardians' win over Orioles with on-field engagement

The biggest (on-the-field) change for Hedges this season has come in the batter’s box, as he’s now slashing .250/.290./321 after an 0-for-4 performance on Sunday (though he did score a run). 

While those numbers don’t pop off the page, it’s been a welcome surprise for a player who recently told MLB.com’s Travis Sawchik that “he’s been in an offensive slump his whole career.” 

A former top prospect with the Padres who came to Cleveland as a part of the Guardians’ 2020 trade fleece of the Padres, he’s spent five of the past six seasons playing in Cleveland as the team’s backup catcher. 

But most of his value came in the clubhouse and behind the plate, as he entered this season with a career batting average of .185. 

Although he’s come falling back to earth recently with an 0-for-12 showing, his 7-for-18 start during the first two weeks of the season was arguably the best stretch of baseball that he’s had since joining the Guardians. 

But even if those recent struggles are a harbinger of a fall back to earth, he’s still great behind the plate (88th percentile in framing) and is a valuable asset for manager Stephen Vogt. 

One of the best things going in Hedges’ favor is the number of options the Guardians have behind the plate. Along with No. 1 catcher Bo Naylor (who just slugged his first home run of the season), the Guardians also can throw David Fry behind the plate on occasion. 

That means Hedges is only the lineup when needed and/or there’s a favorable matchup. It’s the perfect usage for him, and one of the reasons he’s turned into a fan favorite. 

But regardless of how the rest of the season goes, Hedges picked up his biggest win of 2026 on Sunday afternoon. 

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