Padres catcher prospect Austin Hedges spent some time this offseason working with hitting coach Mark Kotsay and the progress he made has left the team encouraged about his future, per MLB.com.
"This year, I notice more maturity. He's still young, but he's getting closer to the big leagues. I think he is starting to understand our message of the pitcher-catcher relationship," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He's doing a lot of things very well in camp."
Hedges, who was the Padres' No. 1 prospect last season (per MLB.com), will likely start the season in Triple-A. For now, he will just work on getting better while he is in major-league camp.
"This is exactly where I want to be," Hedges said. "I'm lucky to be here. You start to feel like you belong. You feel like you can make a difference in a big-league game. The coaches have done a great job making me feel comfortable and preparing me."