Bo Naylor Does Something At The Plate Last Seen By A Cleveland Catcher In 2014
Cleveland Guardians fans have been waiting to see Bo Naylor break out the plate ever since he was called up by the team in the middle of June. He's by no means been bad in the box, but we haven't seen it come together consistently.
Then the last two weeks happened.
Bo's has been one of the best hitters in Cleveland's lineup since halfway through August. He's hitting .366 with five doubles, four home runs, 10 RBI, and a 1.240 OPS in the last 15 games he's played in.
The last Cleveland catcher to have a 15-game stretch with a batting average of .365 or higher, 10 or more RBI and nine or more extra-base hits was Yan Gomes back in late July and early August of 2014.
Gomes was a solid defensive catcher while also having a number of solid seasons at the plate during his six-year stint in Cleveland. He won the Silver Slugger award for catchers in 2014 hitting 21 bombs and even getting the nickname "Gomer."
The fact that Bo putting together stretches at the plate similar to what Yan did when he was in Cleveland should excite fans and signal that his development is going as planned.
Aug 28, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) rounds second base after hitting a home run in the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports
Guardians manager Terry Francona touched on Naylor's growth a few weeks ago and he said he was confident that Bo would continue to get better the more playing time he sees.
There's also been a lot on Naylor's plate needing to manage a rookie rotation with a revolving door of veteran pitchers who have circulated through the staff.
Fans have been waiting a long time to see Bo find his swing in the Big Leagues and it's finally happening.
