Bo Naylor

{{Infobox MLB player

|name = Bo Naylor

|image = Bo Naylor (53479731250).jpg

|caption = Naylor with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024

|position = Catcher

|team = Cleveland Guardians

|number = 23

|bats = Left

|throws = Right

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|2|21}}

|birth_place = Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = October 1

|debutyear = 2022

|debutteam = Cleveland Guardians

|statleague = MLB

|statyear = April 17, 2025

|stat1label = Batting average

|stat1value = .208

|stat2label = Home runs

|stat2value = 25

|stat3label = Runs batted in

|stat3value = 74

|teams =

Cleveland Guardians ({{mlby|2022}}–present)

}}

Noah-Gibson "Bo" Naylor (born February 21, 2000) is a Canadian professional baseball catcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022.

Amateur career

Naylor attended St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, and played for the Canadian junior national baseball team.{{cite web|author=Melissa Couto |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/2017/07/12/naylor-brothers-josh-noah-rising-to-mlb-prominence-after-all-star-events.html |title=Naylor brothers Josh, Noah rising on MLB radar |work=The Star |date=July 12, 2017 |access-date=July 4, 2018}} He appeared in the Under Armour All-America Game and the Under-18 Baseball World Cup held in Ontario in 2017.{{cite web|author=Morgan Campbell |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/2017/08/12/mississaugas-naylor-hitting-it-big.html |title=Mississauga's Naylor hitting it big |work=The Star |date=August 12, 2017 |access-date=July 4, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mississauga.com/sports-story/7551734-noah-naylor-shines-at-under-18-baseball-world-cup/|title=Noah Naylor shines at Under-18 Baseball World Cup|first=Iain|last=Colpitts|date=September 12, 2017|access-date=July 4, 2018}} He committed to attend Texas A&M University to play college baseball.{{cite web|url=https://www.mississauga.com/community-story/6907670-baseball-mississauga-catcher-naylor-commits-to-texas-a-m/|title=BASEBALL: Mississauga catcher Naylor commits to Texas A & M|first=Iain|last=Colpitts|date=October 12, 2016|access-date=July 4, 2018}}

Professional career

The Cleveland Indians selected Naylor in the first round, with the 29th pick, in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.{{cite web|last=Bastian |first=Jordan |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/indians-take-noah-naylor-29th-in-mlb-draft/c-279778580 |title=Indians take Noah Naylor 29th in MLB Draft |work=MLB.com |date=May 24, 2018 |access-date=July 4, 2018}}{{cite web|last=Hoynes |first=Paul |url=https://www.cleveland.com/expo/erry-2018/06/1f523b1be3924/cleveland_indians_draft_2018_u.html |title=Cleveland Indians draft 2018: Canadian high school catcher Noah Naylor headlines four top picks |date=June 5, 2018 |publisher=cleveland.com |access-date=July 4, 2018}} He signed with Cleveland, rather than enroll at Texas A&M, for a $2,578,138 signing bonus.{{cite web|author=Cleveland Indians |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/indians-sign-canadian-first-round-draft-pick-noah-naylor/ |title=Indians sign Canadian first-round draft pick Noah Naylor |publisher=Sportsnet.ca |access-date=July 4, 2018}} He was assigned to the Arizona League Indians and spent the whole season there, with a batting average of .274 with two home runs and 17 runs batted in (RBI) in 33 games played.{{cite web|url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=666310#/career/R/hitting/2018/ALL|title=Bo Naylor Stats, Highlights, Bio - MiLB.com Stats - The Official Site of Minor League Baseball|publisher=MiLB.com|access-date=September 11, 2018}} Naylor spent the 2019 season with the Lake County Captains.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/indians-bo-naylor-assigned-to-low-a/|title=Indians' Bo Naylor: Assigned to Low-A|website=CBSSports.com|date=April 4, 2019 }} Over 107 games, he batted .243 with 11 home runs and 65 RBI.{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/04/no-3-bo-naylor-c-cleveland-indians-top-prospects-right-now.html|title = No. 3 Bo Naylor, C: Cleveland Indians top prospects right now|date = April 6, 2020}}

File:Bo Naylor (53105988435).jpg

Naylor did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|title=2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-canceled|access-date=May 5, 2024|website=mlb.com|language=en}} In 2021, he played with the Akron RubberDucks, slashing .188/.280/.332 with ten home runs and 44 RBI over 87 games.{{cite web|url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/mlb/cleveland-guardians/2021/09/21/rubberducks-baysox-double-northeast-championship-george-valera-rouglas-odor-peyton-battenfield/8415538002/|title = It's a fresh start as RubberDucks, Baysox prepare for Double-A Northeast championship series}} In June, Naylor was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2021-futures-game-rosters|title = Futures Game rosters are STACKED|website = MLB.com}} In 2022, with Akron, Naylor had a .271 average, .898 OPS and six home runs. Naylor was promoted to the Columbus Clippers in June.{{cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/2022/07/15/columbus-clippers-bo-naylor-one-step-closer-joining-brother-josh-cleveland/10039814002/ |title=Columbus Clippers' Bo Naylor one step closer to joining brother Josh in Cleveland |publisher=Dispatch.com |date= |accessdate=October 1, 2022}}

The Guardians selected Naylor's contract on October 1, 2022, adding him to their active roster.{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/guardians/2022/10/cleveland-guardians-add-bo-naylor-zach-pleac-dfa-bryan-shaw-option-tyler-freeman.html |title=Cleveland Guardians add Bo Naylor, Zach Pleac; DFA Bryan Shaw, option Tyler Freeman |publisher=cleveland.com |date=January 7, 2022 |accessdate=October 1, 2022}} He made his major league debut the same day against the Kansas City Royals as a defensive replacement. He made his first start the next day.{{Cite web|url=https://www.news5cleveland.com/sports/cleveland-guardians/naylor-bros-bo-naylor-making-first-mlb-start-for-guardians-set-to-bat-right-after-brother-josh|title=Naylor Bros: Bo Naylor making first MLB start for Guardians, set to bat right after brother Josh|date=October 2, 2022|website=News 5 Cleveland WEWS}}

Before the 2023 season, Naylor played for the Canadian national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/guardians/2023/03/guardians-option-catcher-bo-naylor-to-class-aaa-battle-for-backup-job-begins.html |title=Guardians option catcher Bo Naylor to Class AAA; battle for backup job begins |publisher=cleveland.com |date=March 10, 2023 |accessdate=May 1, 2023}} The Guardians optioned Naylor to Columbus to start the 2023 season.{{cite web | last=Bell | first=Mandy | title=Guardians option Bo Naylor to Triple-A Columbus | website=MLB.com | date=2023-03-11 | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/guardians-option-bo-naylor-to-triple-a-columbus | access-date=2025-04-01}} He played in 67 games for Cleveland in 2023, hitting .237/.339/.470 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI.{{Cite web|title=Bo Naylor 2023 batting Stats Per Game - MLB|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/41183/bo-naylor|access-date=May 5, 2024|website=espn.com|language=en}}

On May 4, 2024, Naylor hit his first career grand slam off of Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels.{{cite web | last=Dulik | first=Brian | title=Bo Naylor hits his 1st career grand slam, Guardians beat Angels 7-1 | website=AP News | date=May 5, 2024 | url=https://apnews.com/article/guardians-angels-score-f51e505e37906faf2410015c69b3f45d | access-date=January 1, 2025}}

Personal life

Naylor's older brother, Josh Naylor, was his teammate on the Cleveland Guardians until he was traded following the 2024 season.{{cite web | last=Bell | first=Mandy | title=Josh Naylor, Bo Naylor homer in same inning on National Siblings Day | website=MLB.com | date=April 11, 2024 | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/josh-bo-naylor-homer-in-same-inning-on-national-siblings-day | access-date=January 1, 2025}} Josh now plays first baseman and outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks.{{Cite web |last=Deeds |first=Nick |date=December 21, 2024 |title=Diamondbacks Acquire Josh Naylor |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/12/diamondbacks-to-acquire-josh-naylor.html |access-date=December 23, 2024 |website=MLB Trade Rumors |language=en-US}} His younger brother, Myles Naylor, plays for the Oakland Athletics organization.{{cite web | last=Castrovince | first=Anthony | title=Myles, Bo and Josh Naylor discuss brotherhood | website=MLB.com | date=July 10, 2023 | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/myles-bo-and-josh-naylor-discuss-brotherhood | access-date=January 1, 2025}}