'A special one': Bo Naylor flashes potential with first MLB homer 

KANSAS CITY -- Patience is key when dealing with young players. The Guardians have certainly learned that lesson plenty of times over the last year and a half. Backstop Bo Naylor got off to a slow start after he got the call to the big leagues, but if he only needed 10 days to get settled in, Guardians fans may be in for a treat for the second half of the season.

It’s been a week of firsts with the younger Naylor. Last Wednesday, he picked up his first hit after starting his career 0-for-19. On Sunday, he logged his first multi-hit game. In Cleveland’s 14-1 victory over Kansas City on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium, he smacked his first home run as part of a three-hit performance that helped move the Guardians into first place in the AL Central.

“That was a special one,” Naylor said. “Each one that’s come has been just as special as the previous. I’m just very thankful for the guys I have here supporting me, being there to make these moments that much more special.”

This is the week Guardians fans have been waiting to experience all season long.

Cleveland kept its No. 3 prospect, as ranked by MLB Pipeline, in Triple-A Columbus through the end of May. As fans took to Twitter, begging for Naylor’s promotion, the club continued to wait. It was more than just offense or defense, it said. A catcher’s role is enormous on any team. If the Guardians were going to hand the keys to Naylor, he’d need to be ready to control the game, know the ins and outs of every pitcher on the staff, be prepared for every hitter who will step in the box, come up with a game plan for his starter to follow every night, understand how to pivot if things aren’t going to script, among so many other things.

It’s not something anyone would ever be 100% prepared for at the big league level until they’re in the Majors. It will take some trial and error. It will come with growing pains. But after the Guardians decided to call Naylor up on June 17, they were ready to see him continue his development against big league teams.

It’s only been 10 days since he first got into a game after his promotion. There’s only so much that can be determined by that small of a sample size. Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff sat in Cleveland’s dugout prior to Wednesday’s first pitch, talking about the growth Naylor has made in such a short period of time. When he was questioned about Naylor’s offensive struggles, he said Naylor just needs time to settle in.

“He’s a guy who -- we saw it really last year and this year -- in the Minor Leagues, he was just on fire,” Chernoff said, “and made some good swing changes that led to some really productive offensive numbers in the Minor Leagues that we felt like would and will translate to the big leagues. I think it’s hard for any young player to transition to the big leagues. I think it’s even harder for a catcher to do that.”

The Guardians have had some solid defensive catchers over the last few years from Roberto Pérez to Austin Hedges. But no one has been able to bring some life to the offense from behind the dish. The hope is that Naylor will finally be the answer to what the club has been searching for. It’s the reason fans were begging for him to finally get to the big leagues. And when that amount of pressure is on a young player, it’s easy to press in your first few games.

“You think about him coming up, probably wanting to press so much so early,” Guardians temporary manager DeMarlo Hale said. “I think he’s starting to settle in. Catchers got a lot of things on their plate. The different pitchers, the game plan, it’s a lot for a catcher in today’s game. I think he’s adjusting very well to it.”

His defense on Tuesday night proved he’s settling in defensively. His home run on Wednesday showed he’s relaxing more at the plate. And the other two hits he picked up along the way drove home the potential he has with this organization moving forward.

“I think everyone in this locker room knows from playing with him that when the bat gets going, he’s tough to get out,” Guardians starter Logan Allen said. “He’s an amazing talent.”