The Cleveland Guardians need as much help at the plate as they can get right now. They were one of the worst offensive teams in the league last season, and not even making the playoffs should be enough for them to feel good about their current roster.
That’s why Paul Hoynes is worried about Bo Naylor. In his latest column, he pointed to Naylor’s many glaring holes on offense, and he’s not sure about whether he can be much better than he was last season:
“Unless something unexpected happens, I think Naylor is the starting catcher, regardless. The coaching staff and front office were encouraged by how he hit (.290) and handled the pitching staff in September when the Guardians rallied to win the AL Central. Overall, however, Naylor hit .195 (70 for 359) with a .282 on-base percentage for the season. The 14 homers were a career high, but there are still a lot of blanks in Naylor’s offensive game that need to be filled,” Hoynes wrote.
Manager Stephen Vogt gushed about Naylor earlier in the offseason. He singled him out as the most likely breakout candidate for next season.
That speaks volumes not only about the fact that he’s expected to be the everyday starter but also that he has the utmost confidence in him. He closed out the season on a high note, but he’s still a work in progress.
Naylor’s defense hasn’t been good enough to make up for his offensive shortcomings. Hopefully, having Austin Hedges by his side for another year will help him with that.
As for his contributions at the plate, he’s not going to have that much competition early on in the season. That being said, things could get much more complicated for him if (when) the Guardians give Cooper Ingle a chance.
Ingle is a very talented young player who should be the team’s future at the position. And if Naylor can’t get it together at the plate, there will be little to no incentives to keep Ingle off the field for long.
NEXT: Guardians Veteran Named As 'Bounce-Back' Candidate In 2026
