The Cleveland Guardians have plenty of talent in their ranks. However, they still need to figure out who’s going to step up and help Jose Ramirez carry the offense.
They have several guys with the potential to help the offense, but they haven’t always lived up to expectations. Notably, that includes Bo Naylor. The Canadian catcher closed out the season on a high note after a slow start to the campaign.
With that in mind, team insider Paul Hoynes urged him to pick up things where he left off last campaign and take his game up a notch in 2026:
“I would like to see the Bo Naylor that showed up in September that hit .290 with three home runs and 16 RBIs with the .872 OPS,” Hoynes said. “I’d like to see him in late March when they open the season and just have that version of Bo Naylor. I know it’s impossible to keep that pace going, but I would like to see that version of Bo Naylor kind of filtered down through the six months of the season.”
Truth be told, this might be Naylor’s last chance to prove that he can be the team’s guy for years to come. Prospect Cooper Ingle looks ready to get the nod and be called up as well, and he’s a legitimate threat to take his job.
The Guardians brought back veteran Austin Hedges and praised his ability to call games and play defense, but he’s never been a factor on offense. That’s not going to change at this point in his career, and he’s most likely there for depth and because of his veteran leadership in the clubhouse.
Naylor changed his approach at the plate before his late-season surge, showing glimpses of greatness and the type of play this team needs from him. Now, it’s all about finding consistency and showing continuous growth.
Otherwise, Stephen Vogt will have no choice but to think things through and reconsider his options at the backstop position.
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