Guardians Catcher Is Trending In The Wrong Direction

In 2023, Cleveland Guardians’ young catcher Bo Naylor received his first extended look as a major leaguer, and the results were outstanding.

In 67 games, he slashed a cool .237/.339/.470 with 11 home runs and a 123 wRC+ in 230 plate appearances.

He looked like a future All-Star at a premium position.

Then, in 2024, he slipped to a 74 wRC+ in 123 games.

The organization and fans were somewhat worried but chalked things up to a bad year from an inexperienced young hitter.

The concerns got real in 2025, though.

This year, the talented Naylor is hitting a paltry .168/.271/.346 with nine home runs and a 75 wRC+ in 248 trips to the plate.

That’s two campaigns in a row with a wRC+ in the seventies.

Actually, he is getting worse instead of improving.

“Make or break year for Cleveland #Guardians (C) Bo Naylor and it’s trending in the wrong direction…. Last 59 games: AVG – .154, OBP – .258, SLG – .337, OPS – .595. Last 34 games: AVG – .128, OBP – .241, SLG – .234, OPS – .475. Last 23 games: AVG – .098, OBP – .167, SLG – .164, OPS – .331,” Guardians Prospective wrote on X.

Make or break year for Cleveland #Guardians (C) Bo Naylor and it's trending in the wrong direction….

Last 59 games:

AVG – .154
OBP – .258
SLG – .337
OPS – .595

Last 34 games:

AVG – .128
OBP – .241
SLG – .234
OPS – .475

Last 23 games:

AVG – .098
OBP – .167
SLG – .164
OPS -…

— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 19, 2025

Naylor’s future place in the organization could be in jeopardy if he continues to collapse offensively.

He hasn’t looked like an asset at the plate in years, and there are definitely reasons to be worried about his inability to develop as planned.

It’s hard for young catchers to make strides offensively because they have to worry about game calling and handling pitchers, but Naylor has the potential to be much, much better than his current version.

His development, or lack thereof, has been one of the storylines of the Guardians’ 2025 season.

Their offense is abysmal, and that’s in large part because core pieces like Naylor have failed to produce.