Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor may be known in his parents' house as Josh's (a first baseman with the Seattle Mariners) little brother. But elsewhere, he has been heralded as a future MLB star.
While in the minor leagues, he represented the Guardians organization in the 2022 MLB Futures Game, an exhibition event for rising stars in professional baseball. His 2024 Topps baseball card even had the words "Future Stars" in rainbow-colored lettering placed near the top of its black-and-white frame.
Bo Naylor first reached the big leagues as a late-season call-up three years ago, and he has been a regular in the Guaridans' starting lineup since. This month, however, could play a large role in whether that's the case moving forward.
Bo Naylor looking for a big September at the plate
The Athletic's Zack Meisel places Bo Naylor amongst the Guardians' top 10 players in greatest need of a strong showing in September. Meisel noted that Bo Naylor is familiar with finishing seasons on a high note, with this one being particularly important for his long-term prospects.
"Naylor is no stranger to stellar Septembers. In 2023, he posted a .327/.471/.654 slash line in the final month, with four homers, four stolen bases and 14 walks to eight strikeouts. Unfortunately for the Guardians, his bat has been frigid ever since, so it’s difficult to envision that he’ll flip a switch," Meisel wrote. "Next year, he could have David Fry and Cooper Ingle bidding to steal at-bats away from him, so the clock’s ticking for him to figure it out at the plate."
While Bo Naylor's overall numbers in 2025 have been relatively unremarkable (.181 batting average, 11 home runs, 31 RBIs and a .631 OPS in 304 at-bats), he has had a productive two-game stretch to kick off the final month of the regular season. He started two games against the Boston Red Sox this week, going a combined 3-7 at the plate with two doubles, three runs scored and one walk.
More performances like that will be necessary to keep him ahead of Fry (an All-Star in 2024) and Ingle (the Guardians' No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline) in the team's pecking order at catcher.