Bo Naylor‘s 2025 season resembled that of many hit TV shows — it ended with some positive momentum, a cliff-hanger and several months of a break before anyone will see if it actually all paid off.
For the Guardians catcher, most of last year was a struggle at the plate, like a “Game of Thrones” season that spends several episodes slowly setting up a few battles. The season finale, though — in Naylor’s case, the final 20-ish games in September — were worth the wait for the Guardians, who needed his bat to help capture a division crown and a playoff spot down the stretch.
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Naylor posted a 75 wRC+ in the first half of last season, meaning he was 25 percent below average as a hitter. And considering his rough start to the year, it looked like he’d be lucky to even get to that figure.
In the second half, though, he posted a 98 wRC+. It still wasn’t where he wants to be, but he was certainly a more productive member of the lineup. In September, Naylor finally caught fire with a 136 wRC+ and an .872 OPS over his last 19 games as the Guardians caught and passed the Detroit Tigers in the standings.
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 13: New York Yankees
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 13: New York Yankees
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 13: Los Angeles Dodgers
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 13: Detroit Tigers
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 13: Milwaukee Brewers
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 10: Atlanta Braves
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 10: San Francisco Giants
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 10: Chicago White Sox
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 10: Arizona Diamondbacks
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: Toronto Blue Jays
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: Philadelphia Phillies
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: Los Angeles Angels
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: Athletics
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: New York Mets
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 11: Chicago CUbs
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 12: Chicago CUbs
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 12: New York Yankees
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb 12, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette (19) warms-up during spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 12: Seattle Mariners
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MLB spring training 2026: Sunshine, good vibes in Arizona and Florida
Feb. 12: Pittsburgh Pirates
Bo Naylor stats
He had a hard-hit percentage of 25.7 in the first half of the year. That rose to 36.4 percent in the second half, and it rose further to 38.5 percent specifically in September.
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“I think the best way to know yourself is to go through a major league season and face major league pitching for a full six months, and that’ll tell you more about yourself than anything else,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “In Bo’s case, him getting more simple [with his swing] was absolutely something that needed to happen.
“I mean, we don’t get to the playoffs without Bo Naylor at the plate last year.”
The attribution for his character arc at the plate throughout 2025 was the adjustment from a leg kick to a toe tap, which acts as a timing mechanism with his swing. The larger leg kick was also adding unwanted movement. Once the toe tap really took hold, everything else fell into place.
“[It got rid of] any wasted movements, anything that isn’t going to serve my swing,” Naylor said. “[It was] making sure everything is quiet and only going to help serve the purpose. .. Mentality-wise, everything was solid, it was just a matter of having what my body was trying to do be on the same page.”
Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor celebrates after hitting a home run against the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 14, 2025, in Cleveland.
Bo Naylor 2026 outlook
With the Guardians hoping that positive momentum can survive the winter and make it to Opening Day, Naylor represents a potentially major piece as the 2026 lineups searches for more production. Cleveland’s 2025 lineup finished 28th in runs. Teams don’t often finish last in their own league in scoring and win their division.
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Naylor is one of three Guardians catchers on the roster, along with David Fry and Austin Hedges. Fry will often be in the lineup against left-handed pitchers, either at catcher or at first base, though the recent signing of Rhys Hoskins could drastically cut into all of that. Barring another slow stretch from Naylor and/or Fry, Hedges could also see his at-bats sliced significantly, potentially pushing him even more into a late-inning defensive option.
It had been years since Cleveland catchers have held their own at the plate, though that all changed once the calendar turned to September. It leaves Naylor as one of the most notable Guardians players to watch in 2026 after the team’s quiet offseason left much of the needed improvement to internal options.
Naylor spent the winter further cleaning up his swing, simplifying his bat path through the strike zone. Once Opening Day rolls around, the Guardians will see if the September gains bloom in the spring.
“I think Bo’s just scratching the surface of the hitter he can be,” Vogt said. “Everybody develops at a different clip. … Now that he’s simplified both his lower and upper half, I think he’s putting himself in a position to have a breakout year.”
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians’ Bo Naylor could have ‘breakout’ 2026 MLB season for cleveland