Why Bo Naylor will be on a short leash in 2026 for the Guardians

With the start of the 2026 MLB Spring Training window just weeks away, news has slowly been released about the Cleveland Guardians' goals and aspirations for the upcoming season.

On Sunday, Jan. 18, it was revealed by manager Stephen Vogt that David Fry is going to spend a majority of his time in spring training playing catcher. Fry, who's been one of the Guardians' mos reliable utility men the past few seasons, was out for most of 2025 due to countless injuries.

His most notable came against the Detroit Tigers toward the end of the season, just when he looked like he was finally returning to form. He suffered multiple facial injuries, including a deviated septum, after being hit by a 99 mph fastball from pitcher Tarik Skubal.

Fortunately, he's fulled recovered and can enter the upcoming year at full strength.

But that presents a tough opportunity for current starting catcher Bo Naylor, who's struggled at the plate the past few seasons.

If Fry is to provide the Guardians with reliability behind home plate and then translate that defense to offense, Cleveland's going to have to weigh who should get the majority of the time at the starting spot.

Stephen Vogt reveals David Fry will concentrate on catching through most of spring training.

(via Paul Hoynes | https://t.co/FDzJXaKGwN) pic.twitter.com/0FtrwVC8Bb
— Guardians Nation (@GuardiansNation) January 18, 2026

Bo Naylor needs to show consistent hitting

Since entering the major league, he's never been able to find consistency with a bat in hand.

Across his three real seasons in MLB, he's been really inefficient at the plate. He's put together slashing lines of .205/.286/.384 for an OPS of .670, with 2025 being his worst batting average yet at a mark of .195 through 123 games.

However, when he's behind home plate though, he's routinely been one of the league's better, young catchers.

By the end of the season, he was top 5 in catching base runners stealing with 27. He also had posted an average ERA of 3.74 per pitcher when he was catching.

As long as he can keep that up, and start to show improvements at the plate, he'll continue to be one of the more reliable members of the Guardians' roster.

Before his struggles started in the hitting department, he was elite in the minor league system. For months leading up to his initial major league debut, people were shouting from the rooftops to see him get a chance to play at Progressive Field.

And it made sense why when looking at his numbers.

He straight-up dominated, slashing a line of .241/.348/.433 for an OPS of 781 across four different levels of the minor league system. His bat was consistent and powerful, blasting 72 doubles and 57 total home runs.

He also had a great eye for balls and strikes, very rarely chasing after pitches or putting himself down in the count, a characteristic of his game that's been missing ever since he was promoted.

This offseason, the Guardians front office decided to extend veteran Austin Hedges, keeping him around for defensive and leadership purposes. If Cleveland knows that Hedges is always going to be there if things start to trend downward behind the plate, they'll need to see Naylor or Fry excel at the plate to give peace of mind.

If Fry does it more often than Naylor does, the coaching staff might be forced to slowly give less and less time to the 25-year-old.

Last time Fry got consistent action, which was in 2024, he was one of the better batters for the Guardians, slashing .263/.356/.448 for a .804 OPS and tacked on an All-Star selection. He's poised to return with some vengeance in 2026.

Naylor and Fry will both take the field for spring training, with the Guardians' first game slated for Saturday, Feb. 21, with game time set for 3:05 p.m. EST. Naylor will also get a chance to compete for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, which will start just a few weeks after spring training and just before the start of the MLB regular season.