Cleveland Guardians Top 30 Prospects: #4 Bo Naylor

This is going to start out as an appreciation post for some of Cleveland's recent catchers. The position has long been an offensive void in lineups, but the Guardians organization has done an excellent job at identifying catchers that impact the team in ways that don't show up in the box score. Of Cleveland's last three primary catchers (dating back to 2013) Yan Gomes was the most productive catcher from an offensive standpoint, posting a wRC+ greater than 100 in three of six seasons. Roberto Perez eclipsed the mark twice in eight seasons and Austin Hedges didn't break 45 in his 2.5 seasons with Cleveland.What they lacked (largely) in offensive output they more than made up for in how they handled pitching staffs, pitch framing, and pure defense behind the dish. Perez and Hedges especially developed a great rapport with the pitching staff, something that can be more valuable than counting stats. Catchers that can both impact and improve their pitchers and make a difference with the bat are unicorns in modern baseball, and often have long roads to development with plenty of time for things to go wrong. I think you know where I'm going by now.Bo Naylor is my 4th ranked Guardians prospect, a catcher from Ontario, Canada. Naylor, 22, was Cleveland's first-round pick in 2018, and he was the second Naylor to be drafted in the first round of the MLB draft after brother Josh was selected 12th overall by the Marlins in the 2015. Both brothers, now reunited in Cleveland, were drafted out of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga. Bo made a name for himself as an impactful member of the Canadian Junior National Team, and was viewed as the best high school bat in his draft class by some outlets.[embed]https://twitter.com/Official_CGBI/status/1571195257672585217?s=20[/embed]Despite the lengthy development times associated with catchers, and a lost season in 2021, Naylor has progressed quickly through the Guardians' farm system, creating a prospect pedigree worthy of a first-round selection. His profile was that of an above-average offensive catcher with plenty of natural ability to develop into a starting catcher, so has Naylor lived up to those expectations?Naylor's professional career has been somewhat of a roller coaster through his first four seasons. After two promising seasons as a teenager in rookie ball and Lake County Naylor fell off a cliff, losing several top 100 honors along the way. Naylor played in 87 games for Double-A Akron in 2021, slashing .189/.280/.332 with 13 doubles, 10 home runs, 10 stolen bases and 37 walks (10.4%) to 112 strikeouts (31.6%). For a catcher touted as offensively gifted Naylor massively underperformed, posting a wRC+ of just 69. Losing the 2020 season almost certainly had a negative effect on Naylor, but there were other factors at play that were evident in his bounce-back 2022 season.[embed]https://twitter.com/CDrottar19/status/1576364256026824705?s=20[/embed]Naylor split 2022 between Double and Triple-A appearing in 118 games slashing .263/.392/.496 with 26 doubles, 21 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 82 walks (16.1%) to 121 strikeouts (23.7%), and a cumulative 140 wRC+. The 2022 season was much more indicative of Naylor's talents and highlights his unique speed and stolen base ability for catcher. Naylor was the only catcher in the minors at any level to hit 20 home runs and swipe 20 bags. For some added context a catcher posting a 20-20 season has only been accomplished twice in Major League history; first by Ivan Rodriguez in 1999 and again by JT Realmuto in 2022.Naylor credits his 2022 turnaround to some swing mechanic adjustments focused on allowing him to get the barrel of the bat on more pitches. At 6 foot 205 pounds, Naylor is built like your typical catcher carrying most of that muscle in his lower half. On top of his surprising wheels, Naylor has above-average power and elite plate vision, and discipline skills. Even with the pitch recognition skills, Naylor can be passive at times, allowing himself to fall behind in counts and artificially inflating his strikeout numbers.[embed]https://twitter.com/JL_Baseball/status/1554989197609648128?s=20[/embed]Naylor produces equally healthy line drive rates (22.1% in 2022) and exit velocities, numbers that bode well for a power swing designed to lift and drive the ball, playing into his power hitter profile. As a receiver, Naylor is a raw product with plenty of work to do learning the intricacies of the position. He's extremely athletic for his frame and position, and his strong arm help compensate for the rest of his defensive profile creating average pop times.At some point in 2023, hopefully on opening day, Naylor will be backing up Mike Zunino in Cleveland and getting a couple of starts per week. Between shadowing Hedges down the stretch in 2022 and the club signing Zunino it's clear the organization in continuing to pair Naylor with experienced veterans that can help mentor him behind the dish. The bat should play at the Major League level, but if he does start in Columbus — which is entirely possible just to guarantee him consistent at-bats — Naylor will need to prove the changes he made to his swing are real and can continue to be improved on.Naylor will always be an offense-first catcher, but if he can learn enough and develop into a league-average defender behind the plate it will take some of the pressure off how good he needs to be in the batter's box. Naylor will factor into Cleveland's plans very soon, and as it stands right now the catcher of the future mantle is his to lose. All of the ingredients are there, and even now Naylor could provide a spark of power to the lineup while contributing to Cleveland's aggressiveness on the base paths.The List so Far:5. George Valera6. Tanner Bibee7. Logan Allen8. Chase DeLauter9. Angel Martinez10. Cody Morris11. Justin Campbell12. Jose Tena13. Xzavion Curry14. Gabriel Arias15. Jaison Chourio16. Will Brennan17. Joey Cantillo18. Juan Brito19. Nate Furman20. Petey Halpin21. Parker Messick22. Doug Nikhazy23. Tanner Burns24. Joe Lampe25. Isaiah Greene26. Jake Fox27. Jhonkensy Noel28. Jack Leftwich29. Trenton Denholm30. Peyton Battenfield