Hedlund went 3–6 with a 3.24
earned run average during the Royals' inaugural season. Used as both a
starter and
relief pitcher, he was far more effective out of the
bullpen, posting a 1.69 ERA and earning two
saves. His finest start came on September 18 when he held the
Oakland Athletics to just one
run, and struck out eight to earn the
complete game victory. After the season, Hedlund pitched for
Tiburones de La Guaira in the
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. He set a league record by not allowing an
earned run for the first 53 innings he pitched, and finishing with a 0.75 ERA. While in
Venezuela, Hedlund would contract the
Hong Kong flu and
bronchitis, causing him to lose thirty pounds. But he recovered and served as a reinforcement for the
Navegantes del Magallanes, eventual champions of the
1970 Caribbean Series. Hedlund began the in the majors, but was ineffective, and was reassigned to the triple A
Omaha Royals. In , the Royals boasted one of the most talented young starting rotations in the majors with Hedlund,
Dick Drago and
Paul Splittorff all under 27 years old. After narrowly avoiding one hundred losses in 1970, the Royals improved to 85–76, in 1971 to finish second in the
American League West. For his part, Hedlund rebounded to go 15–8 in with the league's fourth best ERA, 2.71. After the season, Hedlund traveled to
Vietnam with a group of Major League ballplayers on a tour of hospitals and military bases. Hedlund started in the Royals' rotation, but after starting the season 0–5, was moved into the bullpen. He improved considerably at that point; winning his next four starts when used by
manager Bob Lemon as a spot starter. At the 1972
Winter meetings he was traded back to the Cleveland Indians for
utility infielder Kurt Bevacqua. ==Minor leagues==