Bo Naylor is a talented baseball player, but he has clearly underachieved as a major leaguer to this point. He was once a top organizational prospect and hit 11 home runs in 67 games as a rookie in 2023, with a solid 123 wRC+.
After that, Naylor’s career went on a downward spiral until reaching this point, 2026. He is hitting a meager .138 with a 23 wRC+ in 33 plate appearances. It’s a tiny sample, yes, but it’s hard to justify playing someone with those stats knowing he was already below-average last year (85 wRC+) and in 2024 (74 wRC+).
Naylor, as of Friday afternoon, has not had a home run or a stolen base. Worse yet, he hasn’t scored or driven in a run. He has only four hits, all singles.
Luckily for Naylor, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt is extremely loyal, almost to a fault. He will likely stick with him for a very long time. That’s exactly what team analyst Justin Lada thinks of this scenario.
Speaking of Cooper Ingle’s potential arrival to the majors at some point, Lada believes Cleveland will give Naylor a long leash before considering a change.
“They’re going to give Bo Naylor every opportunity to figure this out,” he said, per Daily Guards.
What does the timeline look like for Cooper Ingle's arrival in Cleveland? #GuardsBall
"They're going to give Bo Naylor every opportunity to figure this out."
– @JL_Baseball pic.twitter.com/rjghQMvOvR
— The Daily Guards (@DailyGuards) April 10, 2026
That’s just who Vogt is: a player’s manager. He was a player not too long ago, and happened to defend the same position as Naylor: catcher.
Perhaps Vogt is sympathetic toward the daily grind of a catcher, having to prepare for games and also having to produce at the plate. He also knows that Naylor can do more offensively, as he did in September of 2025 with a 136 wRC+.
The potential is there for him to put together a solid run, but right now, he has been so bad that some are clamoring for the organization to call up Ingle, the No. 5 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline. Others are supporting the notion that the red-hot Austin Hedges should play more.
The truth is that if the Guardians are serious about mounting a challenge for the AL Central crown again, they can’t afford to carry such an offensive liability in their lineup for much longer. He does deserve some leash, but the team should also know when to pull the plug on the Naylor era if necessary.
NEXT: This Weekend Will Say A Lot About The Guardians
