The Guardians catcher situation is already better than it was in 2025 

Last week, the Cleveland Guardians got a jump-start on building their roster for 2026 by re-signing catcher Austin Hedges to a one-year, $4 million contract. 

While Hedges is a career .185 hitter, he’s a valuable piece behind the plate and in the clubhouse who impacts winning in a variety of ways that go beyond the diamond. 

And even if he’s not a force at the plate, bringing him back into the fold means the Guardians catching situation will be in a better spot than it was in 2025. 

The Guardians will be better at catcher in 2026 

The biggest reason why the Guardians will be better at catcher is due to the presence of David Fry. While Fry was on the roster in the second half of 2025, he was only able to serve as designated hitter while recovering from Tommy John surgery. In total, Fry slashed .171/.229/.363 with eight home runs and 23 RBI in 66 games. 

He was starting to hit a bit better in September (.231 average) before suffering a season-ending injury after he was hit in the face by a Tarik Skubal fastball. 

The good news is that it seems like that injury shouldn’t impact his offseason too much, and should be set for the start of spring training. 

In 2024, Fry showed just how good he can be when he earned his first career All-Star nod while hitting .263 with 14 home runs while playing all over the diamond. About half of Fry’s appearances in the field in 2023 and ‘24 came as a catcher, so he’ll likely be behind the plate one or two games a week in 2026. 

In 2025, Naylor and Hedges were behind the plate for 160 of the Guardians game (surely you remember Dom Nuñez’s two games behind the plate) and combined for a .187/.269/.344 slashline. They were 28% worse than league average by terms of wRC+. Fry will add some much-needed thump to that unit.

Although Fry’s not a great defender behind the plate (which comes with the territory of him being a super-utility player), Naylor and Hedges are among baseball’s best behind the plate. Naylor finished in the 74th percentile in caught stealing, while Hedges is in the 94th percentile in caught stealing and the 95th in framing. 

It also helps that Naylor seems to have figured things out at the end of the season, as he hit .290 in September before hitting a home run against the Tigers in the Wild Card Series. 

The Guardians also have prospect Cooper Ingle waiting in the wings. Ingle likely won’t break camp with the Guardians due to Fry being able to work behind the plate, but he’s earned high-marks for the progress he’s made in the minor leagues. 

Naylor has always impressed scouts with his raw power and sweet swing, but he’s now posted an OPS+ under 100 in two straight seasons. Their catching situation isn’t as bad as it was in the dark days of 2022, but there’s still some obvious room for improvement. 

The 2025 World Series isn’t over yet, but the Guardians front office has already confirmed that things are going to be better behind the dish next season.