Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor entered Thursday’s finale against the Kansas City Royals with a .127 batting average, a 6 wRC+, and four RBI. When it was over, he had a .143 batting average, a 22 wRC+, and seven RBI.
It might not seem like much, given the deep hole in which he got himself, but it could be the start of a much-needed run. On Thursday, Naylor had two hits, including a three-run home run, to help his team win and reach 20 victories on the season.
Naylor has been the subject of intense criticism for his failure to produce anything at the plate this season, to the point that the catcher position is a black hole offensively in Cleveland. He does have potential, though, even if he hasn’t been above-average in a long time.
In a chat with the press, Naylor told Mason Horodyski of News 5 Cleveland that he intends to build off this performance, but trusts the work he has been putting in.
“It’s awesome. I mean, I always love seeing the ball fall or find a hole. And it’s always gonna help the mindset out. But, at the end of the day, I always try to remind myself it’s about the preparation and everything else that happens is, you know… It’s gonna happen. And whether we’re going good or not so good, it’s just a matter of continuing to push forward and keep your mind in the right spot. So, just gonna continue to work hard and make it a point that we continue to build off this. But yeah, just one day at a time, and yeah, just continuing to enjoy the little wins,” Naylor said.
#Guardians Bo Naylor was asked what today’s offensive performance could do for his confidence:
“Yeah, it's awesome. I mean, always love seeing the ball fall or, you know, find a hole. And it's always gonna, it's always gonna, you know, help the mindset out. But, you know, at the…— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) May 7, 2026
Advanced metrics say that Naylor has fallen victim to some bad luck. His expected slugging entering Thursday was .388, and his actual mark before the game was .190. No, he hasn’t been good, but his numbers should be a bit better, according to the quality of contact he has shown.
That’s why he suggests he trusts his preparation. He also talks about keeping his mind in the right spot, which is awfully important after being the target of so much criticism in the last few weeks.
He definitely deserves to enjoy the ‘little wins’, as he says, and in the end, his three-run homer gave the Guardians the win on Thursday. However, he needs to do much, much more to keep himself in the organization’s plans, especially with catching prospect Cooper Ingle knocking on the big leagues’ door.
The nice day at the plate was nice to see, but Naylor is still not out of the woods.
NEXT: Bo Naylor's Bat Comes Alive In Guardians 8-5 Win Over Royals
