Naylor made a verbal commit to Texas A&M before his senior year (2018) at St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

In 2017, Noah's brother, Josh Naylor, was the #10 prospect in the Padres' system.

Baseball America's Carlos Collazo interviewed Naylor at the Under Armour All America Game late in July 2017.

Baseball America:  How did you get started with baseball?

Noah Naylor: "For me it all started with my dad. When he was a kid, throughout his teenage years he had a strong passion for the game. He didn't play at a high level like my brother and I do, but he loved the game a lot and he wanted to bring us into that game as well. And hopefully we carry the same passion that he did when he played. And of course we did, and he's definitely been a big part from the start in our careers.

BA:  You mentioned your brother earlier, what was it like growing up with him and playing with him and seeing him go through the process that you're currently going through now?

NN:  He's definitely been a big help in everything. He just does a great job on updating me and helping me through every situation, every showcase, everything possible that he can to make sure that I'm playing to the best of my ability and that I'm able to perform as best as I can. He really does a good job of not only helping me but inspiring me to be the best player that I can be.

BA:  Everyone is going to bring up your brother, but you guys are very different players. How would you describe your strengths and weaknesses?

NN:  "I'd say my strength is my defense. I take a lot of pride in my defense, whether it's behind the plate, at one of the corners or maybe even up the middle. I feel like defense is definitely a big part of the game and if you're good on the defensive side it really helps you throughout the game and your team as well.

"Also, I think that one of my strengths is my bat. I feel like I'm a gap-to-gap hitter with a little bit of pop to it as well. Just overall, I feel like I have good discipline, can hit the ball to all fields. But overall, I think that those are my main strengths. Not really a weakness, but something I can definitely improve is my running. I feel like I've definitely gotten quicker over the last couple of years, but it's always something to work on. And I think that would just add to my game overall."

BA:  What’s your walkup song?

NN:  "My walkup song would probably be “Still Dre,” by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. At the start of the song, just kind of an instrumental version, I like that, the beat and everything. It gets me pumped up.

BA:  What kind of music do you listen to?

NN:  "Mainly hip hop. I've been around that for a while, and I just really like it. I like a lot of people. Maybe Drake . . . Kendrick Lamar. It could really be anybody—I'll listen to it.

Naylor is a Giants fan, mainly because of Buster Posey. He also is a Brandon Crawford fan. And he's a Blue Jays fan too, the native Canadian said.

June 2018: Noah was the Indians #1 pick (#29), out of Joan of Arc Catholic High School in Mississauga, Canada. Naylor signed for an above-slot bonus of $2,578,137 via scout Mike Kanen.

In 2019, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Naylor as the 4th-best prospect in the Indians' organization, moving up to #3 a year later, early in 2020.

In 2022, he was #7 Guardians' prospect, then moved up to #3 in 2023.

2019 Season: Though the 20-year-old catcher is often paired in conversation with his big league brother Josh. But the younger Naylor spent the 2019 season making waves of his own.

At more than two years younger than the average player in the Midwest League, Cleveland’s No. 3 prospect slashed .243/.313/.421 with 11 home runs, 10 triples, 18 doubles, 7 stolen bases, 60 runs and 65 RBI in over 107 games for the Class A Lake County Captains.

The success of the Indians’ first-round pick in the 2018 Draft, selected 29th overall, led to another accolade for the Mississauga, Ont., native from Baseball Canada. In January, at the national organization’s annual banquet and fundraiser in Toronto, Naylor was given the Canadian Futures Award, the third consecutive year the young backstop has been honored in his home country at the event. (Alexis Brudnicki - Mar. 31, 2020)

Evaluating himself using a Major League Scouting Bureau report and the 20-to-80 scouting scale, basing his grades on the standards set by the Bureau, Naylor highlighted a number of areas with room for improvement and others knows where he wants to keep making strides. 

Top tools

The young backstop gave himself the highest future grades in his arm strength and range, believing there's a chance for both to be at least above average and potentially well above average.

“Growing up, I feel like having a strong arm was one of my stronger abilities,” Naylor said. “And as I progress through my career, I can only make that greater and progress in the field with my arm strength. For my range, I feel like I control the game really well, my pitchers, and my position overall. If I keep working at it, then I can take that to another level.”

Room to improve

While Naylor jumped the majority of his tools a full grade from where he is at present to where he believes he can get in the future, he made the biggest jumps -- a grade and a half -- in his hitting ability and his power.

“Really, I just need to use all my resources like the weight room and the coaching staff that I have with me,” he said. “Using those tools and the resources that I have all around me to help me get to that next level will help make the biggest jump for me. I feel like as I progress, then those two tools will help me make the biggest jump in my game.”

Scouting the scout

Offering insight into his own game and grading himself, Naylor admitted that he doesn’t have a lot of experience with scouting reports, but he understands what he brings to the table.

“I do have a general knowledge of the 20-to-80 scale and how tools are graded,” he said. “I do have a lot of confidence in myself too, and what my future could be for my career. So I feel like I generally have a good idea of how I am as a player and what I could become.”

What the scouts say

“He’s got a long way to go, but there’s a lot of projection there, and he’s young,” one professional evaluator said. “He’s a thick backstop who moves well for his size and is athletic, but he has to maintain his physique going forward. His arm is going to be solid eventually and has been decent so far. He’s shown fringe power and made hard contact but has struggled with off-speed pitches and constantly gets into pitchers’ counts.”

“He had 10 triples this year in the Midwest League, and the power numbers for his age were impressive,” an American League scout said. “He’s got a chance to be a decent player and can play behind the plate. Catchers take longer to develop than any other position by far, because there’s so much more to learn, but he’s got a good chance to bring value to their club and his best shot is behind the plate.”

What’s missing

“My game awareness,” Naylor said of what the report doesn’t assess. “I feel like I control a lot of different aspects of the game offensively and defensively well that wouldn’t show up on a scouting report like that. I feel like that will definitely play with my teammates and the game around me. That’s another level of the game that I feel like I can definitely master pretty quick.” (A Brudnicki - MLB.com - March 31, 2020)

Feb 27, 2021:  It may have only been an intrasquad scrimmage, but the Naylor brothers couldn’t wait to send a picture of the lineup card that listed both Josh’s and Bo’s names to their mom.

“It was surreal,” Josh Naylor said. “You don’t think like that, being in the same lineup as your brother. And when it does happen, it’s a blessing.”

“Seeing it first-hand, it was like, ‘Wow, this is really happening?’” Bo Naylor said. “You kind of take a step back and just appreciate what both of our lives have come to, you know?

"It’s something they’ve only experienced one time in their lives. When Josh was 15 and Bo was 12, the two played in the same youth baseball game together when the older age group needed an extra player to fill in.

“Bo came in and hit a pinch-hit double,” Josh said. “I remember it vividly. He had one at-bat. Maybe two at-bats, but one double, for sure.”

Maybe he remembered it so vividly because Josh never knew if that moment – having his brother on his team – would ever happen again. It’s the same feeling that he had just after the two reported to Goodyear, Ariz., together for Spring Training and he just sat back and watched Bo take batting practice.

“It was so surreal,” Josh said. “Watching off in the background, seeing him develop from when we were kids and watching his game improve yearly and his tools improve. Seeing it all play out on a big league field in front of me, it's beautiful.”

It’s a beautiful thing for an older brother who tried to be the best role model he could. Growing up in Canada, as Josh would say, “you’re born with a pair of skates on your feet.” Although they also grew up playing hockey, it was the feeling of swinging a bat that kept Josh so passionate about baseball. So, he started to pave the way for him and his brother. Josh was drafted by the Marlins in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He was traded to San Diego in 2016 and made his debut in 2019 for the Padres. He’s been able to share advice with Bo, who was drafted in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Indians, following in Josh’s footsteps.

“Growing up, all through my life, I definitely looked up to him as a role model,” Bo said. “Seeing what he’s gone through his career, on and off the field, he’s definitely someone that I’ve looked up to. Day in and day out, I’m proud to be the one to call him my brother.”

During the baseball season, their conversations had to happen from afar. Josh spent 2019 in San Diego and Bo was with Class A Lynchburg. But on Aug. 31, 2020, the two suddenly became much closer. Bo received a text from his mom that read, “Your brother just got traded.”

Bo responded, “To who?” and let the suspense build as he waited for his mother’s response. “Cleveland,” she wrote.

“My jaw dropped,” Bo said. “It was just, like, ‘Wow, this is happening.’ Right from then, I started to picture all of the things that could’ve happened, all those possibilities. It was just an amazing feeling altogether.”

At the same time, it was easy for the brothers to both reflect on their journeys to reach this point. The two grew up playing catch in the street. Bo would squat down and catch Josh’s “bullpens” in the front yard when they were under 10 years old. Despite the two-and-a-half-year age difference, they were always competitive to see who would win bragging rights.

“Me and him make each other better as athletes,” Josh said, “and as humans because we want each other to be the best we can be.”

Every year, Josh and Bo train together in the offseason, and they even got their youngest brother (15-year-old Myles) to join them this past winter.

“Our family is very close knit,” Josh said, “so we kind of do it all together.”

Now, it may be a few more years until their names can get penciled into the same big league lineup, as 21-year-old Bo has yet to reach Double-A, so the brothers are taking advantage of their first Spring Training camp together and allowing themselves to dream – just a little bit – about the future.

“When [Bo] comes up to the big leagues and we're sharing a field together it's just so cool to look back,” Josh said. “We did all this work to get here at the same time. We're here at the same time now, and now we have the same goal in life. It's a blessing.” (M Bell - MLB.com - Feb 27, 2021)  

June 2021: Naylor was selected to represent the Indians in the All-Star Futures Game.

Bo was at home, taking care of older brother and Indians right fielder Josh, when his phone rang.  Bo and Josh live together in the Cleveland area, as Bo just has a short drive down the road to his Double-A team in Akron.  Josh usually has a quick jaunt over to Progressive Field, but he has been laid up due to a serious ankle injury in Minnesota on June 27.  So on top of his role as brother and roommate, Bo gladly took on some responsibilities as a caretaker.  And while Bo was in the middle of helping Josh, Indians vice president of player development James Harris gave him a call.

“He just asked me about Josh, how the day's going and how he's recovering,” Bo recalled.  “I was just talking to him about the situation, where we were at, and then he said, 'Well, you know, it's not all bad news.'”

Harris broke the news to Bo that he had been selected to represent the Indians at the SiriusXM Futures Game at Coors Field on July 11, 2021.  “From then on, I was just in awe,” Bo said.  “It was definitely like the moment, sitting back and realizing it, it was amazing.  I'm definitely grateful for every opportunity.”

There’s nothing more that either of the Naylor brothers want than for both of them to be healthy and on the field.  However, if there’s one small silver lining to Josh’s injury, which he suffered just hours before Bo’s phone rang, it’s that he was able to be at home beside Bo when that call came through instead of at the ballpark, preparing for a game.

“Oh, it was amazing,” Bo said of having Josh with him when he got the news.  “It seemed like he wanted to jump out of his seat.  But it was amazing.  It was an amazing moment to share,” Bo said.  “Even if I didn't have everyone that I would have wanted around me, definitely felt the presence there, even though we're FaceTiming with Josh by my side.  Definitely taking advantage of it and yeah, it was just a surreal moment overall.”

So many siblings are close, but Josh, 24, and Bo, 21, seem to have a special brotherly relationship unlike any other.  Bo was drafted by the Indians in the first round of the MLB Draft in 2018, and Josh was traded to Cleveland from the Padres at 2020’s Trade Deadline.  The two were bursting with excitement to both be in big league 2021 Spring Training camp in February and sent pictures of the lineup card with two Naylors to their mom, having shared a field only once in their lives prior to that point.  (Bell - mlb.com - 7/7/2021)

2021 Season: Cleveland raved about Naylor all throughout Spring Training last season when he was invited to big league camp. His grit and solid defense behind the plate has the organization excited about the potential of having a quality backstop for the big league club in the near future.

The majority of the hesitation when it comes to the 21-year-old is due to his bat. Coming out of the 2018 MLB Draft, Naylor’s quick left-handed swing and good feel for the barrel was expected to allow him to hit for both average and power, according to MLB Pipeline. But during his time in Double-A Akron in 2021, the numbers did not back up those projections.

Naylor hit a mere .188 in 87 games with the RubberDucks with a .612 OPS. And over the last three Minor League seasons, he’s watched his strikeout numbers continue to climb. MLB Pipeline projected Naylor to reach the big leagues in 2022, but his bat could be the reason for a delay in his arrival despite the lack of catching depth throughout the system.  (Mandy Bell@MandyBell02 - Dec. 16, 2021)

There could be a Naylor family reunion in Cleveland next year. First baseman Josh Naylor was a fixture in the Guardians' lineup in 2022, while younger brother Bo Naylor is a 22-year-old catcher who had a breakout season at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus.

Cleveland drafted Bo Naylor 29th overall in 2018 out of an Ontario high school. He spent a season at Low-A in 2019 before losing 2020 to the pandemic. He struggled with the jump to Double-A in 2021, hitting .189 in 87 games.

Naylor needed a bounce back season this year, and that’s exactly what he produced. Through 115 games for Akron and Columbus, Naylor hit .257/.389/.481 with 19 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 80 walks and 117 strikeouts.

The lefthanded-hitting catcher showed why he was one of the top prospects in the Guardians' system.

“Bo continued to progress offensively with good swing decisions and consistently putting the ball in play,” Guardians assistant general manager James Harris said.

“He has shown flashes of this level of performance his entire career, but in the last year he has consistently worked with (Columbus hitting coach) Jason Esposito to understand what pitchers are trying to do to him and finding a good pitch to hit.”

That work has paid off. Naylor appears to have a clear path to earning a share of playing time behind the plate in Cleveland. Austin Hedges was the primary starter this year and is bound for free agency at age 30.

Defensively, Naylor has made significant strides the last two years.

“He’s athletic and has worked hard to improve his throwing,” Harris said. “He is amazing at building relationships with pitchers in English and Spanish, and is a good receiver.”

Guardians catchers have collectively been the lightest-hitting group of backstops in MLB the past three seasons. That means that Naylor is poised to offer offensive upside at a position of need in 2023, all while gaining valuable MLB experience.  (Jim Ingraham on September 22, 2022)

Naylor is not satisfied with technology or tradition. He is going the extra mile in order to make communicating with everybody on the Guards pitching staff seamless. Since being drafted 29th overall by Cleveland in 2018, Naylor has undertaken an intense Spanish language course of study in an effort to become fluent.

“Growing up I really liked the idea of learning new languages so when the pandemic came around, I used that as a good opportunity to try my best to learn,” Naylor said. “A lot of the guys in the clubhouse have helped me learn and helped give me confidence. I think it’s also helped me learn a lot of my teammates without that barrier.”

Naylor enrolled in a nine-level course and studied intensively for four months during the pandemic in 2020. He says the best resource is still his Spanish-speaking teammates, who have encouraged his progress in every way.

“I’m hoping that me taking this step to learn helps them feel a little more comfortable,” Naylor said. “I try as best as I can.”  (Joe Noga - Jan. 26, 2023)

Naylor committed to play for Team Canada in the 2023 WBC.

2023 Season: It didn't take long, but Bo Naylor has already proved he's the real deal.

The former first-round pick got his first extended taste of the big leagues in 2023, and he didn't disappoint. In 67 games, he slashed .237/.339/.470 with 11 homers, 13 doubles and 5 steals.

Those would be impressive numbers for a rookie at any position, but for a catcher they're pretty much unheard of. Catchers typically take longer to develop offensively because of all the extra work they have to put in on defense, but Naylor is already hitting like an All-Star at age 23. Aside from the occasional Buster Posey or Adley Rutschman, you just don't see that very often.

Naylor has all the tools you could ask for in a young ballplayer. Power? Check. Patience? Check. Speed? Check.

This is a guy who should only get better as he gains experience and gets more comfortable in the big leagues. He's going to be a star in this league for a long time and already should be our starting catcher for years to come. In order for that to happen, though, we need to lock him up long before he ever sniffs free agency, because by then he'll cost a fortune. (Tyler Maher | Oct 7, 2023) 

2024 Season: The Guardians' inconsistent offense was a major issue all season long, and one of the biggest problems was the lack of production from the catcher position.

While Austin Hedges' scarce offense wasn't surprising, Bo Naylor's freefall at the plate was quite a bit surprising.

After recording an .809 OPS in a part-time role last season, Naylor saw his efficiency plummet in 2024, as he slashed a meager .201/.264/.350 over 389 trips to the dish.

The former first-round pick was a solid hitter in the minor league, tallying a .781 OPS through 405 games within Cleveland's system. So maybe there is hope that Naylor can turn things around. (Matthew Schmidt - Oct. 22, 2024)

Naylor is a strong lefthanded hitter with a smooth lefthanded swing, with a 50-grade hit tool, and the bat speed and muscle to drive the ball for average 50-grade power.

Bo got back on track at the plate in part because he overhauled his swing and got his strikeout rate back under control, lowering it from 31.5% in 2021 to 23.7% in 2022, while also raising his walk rate. His improved plate control was a return to his historical norms as a hitter, while he also showed off his above-average power potential and speed. Naylor hit 21 home runs and stole 20 bases, an incredibly rare pairing for a catcher. His combination of power, speed and a disciplined plate approach makes for an impressive offensive profile. (Teddy Cahill - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

Bo's step back offensively was particularly surprising after his impressive performance in 2020 at the alternate training site. Initially, he was seen as being more of a contact hitter than a slugger, but his strikeout rate increased, and his walk rate decreased as he struggled with more advanced pitching. He still has solid power and drives balls well. He was graded with a 40 hit tool early in 2022.

“Bo continued to progress offensively with good swing decisions and consistently putting the ball in play,” Guardians assistant general manager James Harris said after the 2022 season.

“He has shown flashes of this level of performance his entire career, but in the last year he has consistently worked with (Columbus hitting coach) Jason Esposito to understand what pitchers are trying to do to him and finding a good pitch to hit.”

Naylor has a quick left-handed stroke and good feel for the barrel, which should allow him to hit for both average and power. His bat speed and strength helped him rank fifth in the low Class A Midwest League with 39 extra-base hits in his first full pro season in 2019. Faster than most catchers, he led the MWL with 10 triples. (Spring 2021)

Quicker than most catchers, Naylor led the low Class A Midwest League with 10 triples in 2019. Naylor's bat is what made him a first-rounder, with scouts considering him one of the best pure hitters in the 2018 prep class. He has a quick left-handed swing and manipulates the barrel well, using the whole field with a disciplined approach. His bat speed and strength give him at least solid raw power, and his hitting ability should allow him to make the most of it. (Spring 2020)

But Noah is more about hits than homers, with a 60 grade hit tool. He can hit the ball from foul pole to foul pole. His is a pure lefthanded stroke and he has the ability to adjust pitch-to-pitch, while also manipulating the barrel in each part of the strike zone.

Noah has an advanced hit tool thanks to his smooth swing, pitch recognition and approach. His power showed up more in 2019 than it had previously, and he makes consistent hard contact and has the ability to drive the ball. (Teddy Cahill - BA Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2020)

While he doesn’t have the elite power his older brother possesses, he does have present pop—it just doesn’t always show up in games. Many scouts think the power will continue to develop and improve.

Naylor is a natural hitter, with a combination of a 60 grade hitting tool and 50 power, in the near future. He is so very balanced at the plate. And he does not expand the zone. (Spring, 2019)

Noah hits from a slightly open stance.

Naylor can hit to all fields with growing power. He gets good leverage in his swing.

July 14, 2023: In the top of the third inning in Texas, the Guardians' set of brothers joined a short list. Catcher Bo Naylor got the scoring started with a two-run home run and later in the inning, Bo's brother Josh Naylor hit a two-run shot of his own: 

Josh has been up all season and now has 12 homers and 66 RBI. Bo, a rookie who appeared in five games last season, is playing in his 16th game this season. That was his second homer. 

Obviously, the big news here is the rarity that is a set of brothers homering in the same inning. We rarely see brothers together in the majors, much less on the same team and getting them both to go deep in the same frame is special. 

According to MLB stats guru Sarah Langs, here are the sets of brothers to homer in the same inning for the same team in the expansion era: 

–Hank and Tommie Aaron, Braves, July 12, 1962

–Billy and Cal Ripken, Orioles, Sept. 15, 1990

–The Ripkens again, Orioles, May 28, 1996

–B.J. and Justin Upton, Braves, April 6, 2013

–The Uptons again, Braves, April 23, 2013

–Bo and Josh Naylor, Guardians, July 14, 2023*

If we wanted to get a little more specific in order to make this one sound more special, the Naylor brothers were the first ones ever to both hit multi-run homers. The other five instances listed above all contained at least one solo home run. The Naylors each hit two-run shots. 

Bo is very agile behind the plate. He is able to very quickly shift and block a pitch. He reeks athleticism. He receives the ball well, but his feet and hands don’t always work well together. Naylor has the skills to be at least a 55 grade catcher. And he has a strong, 60 grade arm. 

Defensively, Naylor has made some important strides over the last two years. His athleticism has always played well behind the plate, and he earns high grades for his blocking and framing ability. He's also worked hard to improve his throwing ability and has cut down the frequency with which opponents run on him, which was a concern early in his professional career. He has earned the respect of pitchers in the organization, who enjoy working with him. (Teddy Cahill - BA Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

Naylor is amazing at building relationships with pitchers in English and Spanish, and is a good receiver. (Oct., 2022)

Naylor’s athleticism plays well behind the plate as a blocker, and he earns high grades for his framing ability. He played a lot of third base as an amateur but has been exclusively a catcher the last three seasons and has proven he can handle the position. (Teddy Cahill - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2022)

The Indians will have to decide whether to maximize Naylor's positional value by keeping him at catcher or tapping into more of his considerable offensive upside by moving him to a less demanding position. For now, he'll stay behind the plate because his receiving has been better than advertised. Though he threw out 37 percent of base-stealers in 2019, the Indians had him work with their pitching instructors on his arm strength and throwing mechanics at their alternate site and during instructional league last year. (Spring 2021)

Noah's receiving was better than advertised and he threw out 37 percent of base-stealers, though he'll need to improve his mechanics to get the most out of his solid arm strength. The downside to keeping him behind the plate is that the wear and tear will take a toll on his considerable offensive upside. 

He gets high praise for his pitch-framing. (Spring, 2020)

Naylor has a loose, strong cannon for an arm. Noah's had a pop time of 1.78 seconds, glove to glove. 

In 2019, Noah strong arm helped him throw out 37 percent of base-stealers, but teams were still very willing to test him, attempting 128 stolen bases in 85 games. 

Bo will mature. He can get lazy at times behind the dish and needs a lot of refinement. Some teams think he can turn into a solid third baseman, where he’s played frequently with Canada and over the showcase circuit while making all the routine plays. If neither of those work out, Naylor’s bat should still be good enough to play in a corner outfield position. (Baseball America - April 2018)

Naylor has also played some third base as an amateur.