Cleveland Guardians catcher of the future Bo Naylor turned 24 on Wednesday.
A former first-round pick in 2018, Naylor got the chance to show the best of his talent to the world in 2023, when he was called up to the bigs.
He had already hit 13 home runs in Triple-A, then went on to hit 11 more in the majors, with a 124 wRC+.
The wRC+ stat shows us how good a hitter is relative to the league average of 100: higher than that means above-average performance.
To watch the younger Naylor rock that 124 wRC+ means that he is ready to enter the upper echelon of catchers in the American League.
In a recent interview, he discussed the journey that has brought him where he is and some of his impressive 2023 debut season.
The interviewer met Naylor with some facts, saying that he was one of the guys that had the Guardians offense going in the second half; and asked Naylor how it felt.
“It was huge. It really helped me and my confidence. I knew I had the ability to play at that level, but that doesn’t take away from the tough times that were experienced,” he said.
Bo Naylor slashed .304/.444/.607 over last season's final month.
While the success came as no surprise to @_BoNaylor_ or to Josh, both brothers remain grateful for how their @CleGuardians teammates embraced and supported Bo from day one. #ForTheLand | #GuardsSpring | @DreKnott pic.twitter.com/X7TPlOkOf7
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) February 21, 2024
He praised his teammates and said they were there for him even through the tough times.
His brother Josh was also asked about him, and he didn’t hold back when talking about Bo.
“I know what he can do and what he’s capable of, and it excites me every moment he gets to show that off,” Josh added about Bo.
Together, the Naylors have the potential to carry the Guardians’ offense in 2024 together with Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, and Andres Gimenez.
NEXT: Guardians Manager Notes Potential Change For Jose Ramirez
