Heading into the 2026 season, the one glaring position group that the Cleveland Guardians needed to see signs of improvement came from the catchers, in particular starter Bo Naylor.
Naylor who is entering his fourth season with the Guardians, is regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in the majors, but he has struggled from the offensive side of the plate. Particularly in the early months of the season.
While his defensive stats suppor, he is among the best in the majors, his offensive output suggests otherwise. In the first half of the 2025 season, Naylor ranked 26th in wRC+ and OPS amongst catchers.
Following the all-star break his performance improved significantly as he posted a 110wRC+ and a .230/.324/.426 slash line (which is batting average, on-base and slugging percentage). This did include a career high eight-game hitting streak and a .290 batting average in September which made him one of the better hitting catchers down the stretch.
MLB analyst Tom Verducci broke down those changes on MLB Network in late September 2025.
Bo Naylor began incorporating a toe tap in his swing back in August and things started to click at the plate.
Tom Verducci takes a look at the @CleGuardians catcher and his offensive turnaround this season 🧐 pic.twitter.com/jToqqwizMA
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 24, 2025
Naylor set up for Breakout Season in 2026
With the Guards resigning Austin Hedges, giving David Fry more reps behind the plate and Cooper Ingle rise to the majors. It is imperative that Naylor can build upon his late season success in the first half of the season.
Guards skipper, Stephen Vogt believes in his young catcher.
“I think the best way to know yourself is to go through a major league season and face major league pitching for a full six months and that’ll tell you more about yourself than anything else,” stated Vogt.
“In Bo’s case, him getting more simple with his swing was absolutely something that needed to happen. I mean, we don’t get to the playoffs without Bo Naylor at the plate last year.”
The difference was a slight adjustment as he removed his high leg kick in favor of a more compact toe-tap. Both of these movements are aimed at improving pitch recognition, timing and power. Naylor has become a more compact hitting exploding through the ball which saw an increase in his exist velocity, which serves as the primary metric for measuring a hitter’s raw power.
The Guardians brass have high expectations for Naylor in 2026, if he can continue from his late season success the club may have found their long-term answer at the catcher spot. Fans might finally witness the Naylor that sailed through the minors on his way to Cleveland.
