Guardians 'Proud Of The Strides' Young Catcher Made Last Season

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt praised Bo Naylor for the progress he made during the 2024 season.

Sep 18, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) walks on the field in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

There's a reason that the Cleveland Guardians have been so high on Bo Naylor ever since he entered the organization during the 2018 draft. In the minor leagues, he gained a reputation as a solid defensive catcher who can hit for power at times, too. Those types of catchers are a premium in the big leagues.

However, we're still waiting to see Bo consistently be that type of player in the majors. There have been flashes of greatness with the bat and on defense, but not simultaneously.

With all of this in mind, it's important to remember that Naylor is still only 24 years old and has a way to go in his development. Stephen Vogt said at his end-of-season press conference that the organization is very pleased with the progress Bo made in 2024.

"I mean, the amount of growth Bo had this year we, can't quantify," said Vogt. "He went from, in your first full season, being a quasi-everyday catcher, the amount of work that we put on him day in and day out - The number of preparations, the number of meetings, making 175 in-game decisions, and calling pitches. The bandwidth that that takes on top of meetings and all of us trying to help him get better and learn more, it's a tough task for anybody, let alone someone in their first full season. He navigated, and actually, Game 5 of the ALCS might've been the best game he called all year. Just looking at that was incredible."

"Bo's growth was huge, and Austin [Hedges] played a big role in that as well, and so did David Fry. They were a three-headed monster that helped each other every step of the way. We couldn't have asked anything more from Bo from a catching standpoint, and just so proud of the strides that he made."

Vogt points out that catchers have so much off-field game planning and meetings to focus on. Obviously, this takes time away from focusing on other areas, such as his offense, which is where Naylor especially struggled last season, hitting just .201/.264/.350.

Oct 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) hits an RBI double during the second inning against the New York Yankees during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images / David Dermer-Imagn Images

But those offensive numbers can't be ignored, especially when there's a case to be made that he still has areas to improve upon when he's behind the plate, such as blocking and game-calling at times.

It's hard to imagine Bo won't be on Cleveland's 2025 Opening Day roster. However, next season will be year three for Naylor, and it'll be crucial for him to show the front office he's making even more strides in his development.