Bo Naylor - Cleveland Minor League Player of the Year
Bo Naylor wins Minor League Player of the Year for Cleveland after putting together an outstanding season. Bo slashed an impressive .257/.389/.481 collecting 19 home runs, 80 walks and 20 stolen bases over 115 games.
Not only is he proving himself with the bat, but he has made incredible strides defensively as well. Bo has thrown out 49% of attempted base stealer's (23 of 47) this year, putting him well over the Major League average of around 30%.
Naylor puts himself in a great position to win a spot on the Guardians roster going forward. With Josh having a great season for the big league club, they are poised to become the first Ontario Blue Jays brothers to play in the big leagues!
How does it feel to be given this award and prove your hard work in the off-season is paying off?”
“It’s definitely something special. I had the pleasure of working with some incredible people in this organisation this past off season. They really helped push and motivate me to be my best self out there. I think the work has really paid off to this point, and I couldn’t be more thankful.”
What would it mean not only to get the call but to be on the big league club with your brother?
“It would be a dream come true. Playing on the same team as your brother is something not everyone gets the chance to do. You grow up talking about it as kids, but now that it could be possible it just pushes me to work even harder to make it happen!”
We caught up with Josh Naylor to see what he thinks of his little brother's success thus far.
How does it feel to see your brother having so much success this year?
“To see Bo do what we all know he is capable of is incredible because he puts in tremendous hours of work into all his crafts. He is dedicated to this grind, and he knows that anything in life is possible. To watch him mature over the years and become a professional is humbling as a big brother. I'm proud of him every day”.
What would it mean to you having Bo join you in the big leagues?
“To have Bo here in the big leagues would mean the absolute world to me. I think we would learn a lot from each other and also be able to grow together at the highest level of baseball. Having an elite player like him around who not only gives you incredible talent on the field, but is also a leader off the field is what every organisation needs. He is a game changer who loves to win, so having him here would be a huge blessing.”
Needless to say, we are very excited to see the two of these stars continue dominating going forward.
Congratulations to Bo, and we will be keeping a close eye on the club in Cleveland awaiting the call!