Austin Hedges Goes 15th Overall to Padres in 2011 Draft
austin hedges started his professional baseball career on June 7, 2011, when the San Diego Padres selected him 15th overall in the second round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft. The pick sent the high school catcher straight into pro ball after he had already committed to UCLA, and it marked the first turn in a career that began with a leap from classrooms to the Padres’ system.
Padres Choose Hedges
The Padres used a high draft pick on a player they saw as one of the best defensive catchers available. Hedges was 18 years old when he moved into the organization, skipping the college route and heading into the minor league ladder instead.
That path mattered because he had been on a college track before his senior season of high school ball. The decision changed the setting immediately: instead of heading to Westwood, he entered the Padres’ minor league system and began learning the pro game.
UCLA To Eugene
Hedges later said, “My dad went to UCLA; I grew up a fan my whole life,” in a 2013 interview with MiLB.com. He also said, “I wanted to enjoy all the sports and get the whole college experience.” Those comments fit the split he faced at the time: a college commitment on one side, a direct jump to pro baseball on the other.
He described UCLA as “one nice big package, everything about it felt right.” Hedges also said, “Their baseball team is outstanding and the coaching is excellent as well.” The school was still on his mind even after the draft, but the Padres’ selection moved his development in a different direction.
June 7, 2011 Decision
By age 18, Hedges spent time with the Eugene Emeralds and the organization’s rookie ball team in Arizona as he settled in and got a feel for the game. He was in high school just months before joining the Padres’ minor league system, which shows how quickly the draft moved him from one stage of his life to the next.
Hedges also said, “Westwood is a beautiful area,” and, “It’s an amazing school and that's where I wanted to go from the get-go.” The Padres still got the player, though, and the choice on June 7 set the course: pro baseball first, college deferred. For a catcher drafted 15th overall, that was the real shift.
