Guardians desperately need more from Bo Naylor in 2025

The 2025 season is set to be the second full major league season for Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, and the expectations are high. Cleveland's almost 25-year-old backstop has shown flashes of his offensive potential, but now is the time for him to take a massive step forward at the plate.

2024 saw Naylor get his first shot at being an everyday player for the Guardians, appearing in 123 games for the American League Central Champions. Naylor would go on to hit 13 home runs, 10 doubles, and drive in 39 runs in 389 plate appearances, which shows some promise, but his .201/.264/.350 slash line could use some improvement.

No one faults Naylor for his numbers at the plate not being particularly outstanding. Adjusting to major league pitching is hard enough, but also handling the duties of catching a pitching staff more often than not also presents its own set of challenges that can give even the most talented catching prospects trouble.

This is not to say that the Guardians are at a crossroads with Naylor, but if there was ever a time for him to become a consistent threat at the plate, it is now. Naylor knows what it takes to be a major league catcher and what comes with it, and he must show that he is capable of providing better than below-average offensive production (73 OPS+ in 2024).

There is another aspect to this as well. Cleveland traded away his older brother Josh this offseason, creating a massive offensive void in their lineup. While the return of Carlos Santana should help make this less dire, the Guardians will still need others to elevate their player, and the lone remaining Naylor brother is a prime candidate.

Now, there are others who should be able to contribute in picking up the slack, but Bo taking that step forward would help alleviate the pressure on some of Cleveland's lesser players to try and overperform their talent level, and that could ultimately make the difference between the Guardians repeating in the AL Central and being an also-ran.