Sports

Update: JSerra's Hedges Drafted By Padres

Defensive-minded catcher, committed to UCLA, is selected by San Diego on the second round with the 82nd pick overall Tuesday during Major League Baseball's first-year player draft. Boras picked by Brewers.

(Updated at 6:15 p.m. to include information about Hedges' JSerra teammate, Trent Boras.)

JSerra's Austin Hedges, one of the most highly regarded defensive catchers in the nation, was selected in the second round by the San Diego Padres with the 82nd pick overall Tuesday during Major League Baseball's first-year player draft.

Originally Hedges was projected to be a first-round pick, but some clubs may have been scared away by his seemingly strong commitment to play college ball at UCLA.

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Winner of the Rawlings Gold Glove as the nation’s top defensive high school ballplayer as a junior, Hedges, 6 feet 1 and 195 pounds, has developed his game under the tutelage of his coach, Brett Kay, a former catcher at Cal State Fullerton and with the New York Mets organization.

Kay told the Los Angeles Times that Hedges was timed in 1.74 seconds getting the ball from his glove to the second-base bag. Anything less than two seconds is considered good.

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Hedges helped JSerra finish second in the Trinity League standings and advance to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, where they lost to eventual champion J.W. North.

Hedges' teammate, third baseman Trent Boras, son of agent Scott Boras, was selected by the Miwaukee Brewers in the 30th round (No. 911) overall. Boras has signed with USC.


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