Why the Guardians shouldn't give up on this former top prospect

Bo Naylor's time in the major leagues has been a roller coaster.

The 25-year-old backstop is in his third full season with the Cleveland Guardians, and is experiencing a lot of bumps in the road.

While he has struggled at the plate since earning his first MLB call-up, he should still be viewed as a key piece for the future of the franchise. The Guardians have continued to roll him nearly everyday despite those struggles, which is a key indicator to how they feel about him despite the struggles.

And it seems like there's a good chance that faith could be rewarded in the future.

Why the Guardians shouldn't give up on Bo Naylor

While Naylor is slashing just .172/.235/.357 through 77 games this year, he's still had some moments of excitement, as evidenced by him having 10 home runs, ten doubles and a triple.

He's also done a good job cutting down on the amount of swing-and-miss in his game, as his strikeout rate currently sits at 26.6% after being at 31.4% last year. Still not great, but progress nonetheless.

He's also looked better as of late, going 3-for-12 (.300) in the three games that he played against the Orioles last series. His double was particularly exciting, as he was able to stay on a fastball in the middle of the plate and line it the other way for a double.

“That swing tonight, that should tell him everything -- that you're on the right track, you're starting to roll,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said after the game, per MLB.com's Tim Stebbins. “When you can hit a low line drive the other way, that's when your swing is at its absolute best. What a great swing.”

Naylor's defensive work has long carried him through his offensive slumps, both in MLB and in the minors.

Transitioning into a full-time big-league catcher over the past few seasons has taken its toll in his batting, but his framing, footwork and trust with pitchers are strengths. Not only was he able to establish a relationships with the team's young arms while in the minors, he's also been able to build trust with the team's veterans.

Veteran Austin Hedges has also been able to bring a stabilizing presence to the position through his ability to be there as a solid defensive backup to Naylor.

When he is able to take a game or two off, it has helped for Naylor to bolster his offense and learn from the experienced Hedges.

But even when Naylor's struggled, he's never looked like he's just been going through the motions.

After receiving a couple games off in last year's ALCS, he went 3-for-7 with two doubles in the final two games of the series.

This showed that he can be effective when confident, and that he isn't just a misguided prospect who will fizzle out in MLB.

He also isn't at risk of losing his spot.

While it's clear that he still has some work to do at the plate, he's still a top-tier defender behind the plate.

In today's game, catching errors can be game-changing moments, so having someone who is consistent behind the plate is important.

If he can begin to stabilize his approach at the plate and raise his OBP over .300, he'll have no problem staying in Cleveland's plans moving forward.

Naylor's foundation is worth building on, and the Guardians do not seem to be looking to move on from him anytime soon.