The Cleveland Guardians are already feeling the heat just a few games into the new season. Their offense hit a snag early, nearly being no-hit by the Seattle Mariners in just their fourth outing.
Splitting the series at T-Mobile Park, the Guardians also dropped a game where they managed only a single run. With a team batting average of .195 and an OPS of .600, the numbers look even bleaker without rookie standout Chase DeLauter.
It's still early days, and there's hope that Cleveland's talent can pull through. Analyst Justin Lada highlights catcher Bo Naylor as a pivotal player in boosting the Guardians' offensive output.
"If they could just get league-average offense, if you could just get a 90 wRC+ for Bo Naylor, that would be a huge win," Lada explains. "You could go from 28th in offense to 20th. That would be a big improvement for this team when you combine the fact that their pitching staff should be pretty rock solid and they made it to the playoffs last year on a way worse offense."
Naylor's season start hasn't been ideal, with just one hit in 11 at-bats and four strikeouts. This is a bit of a letdown after his impressive spring training and strong finish last September.
For context, a wRC+ of 100 is considered league average. Last season, Naylor's late surge pushed his wRC+ to 85, but he's starting this year at a concerning minus-18.
The Guardians can't afford another season with a struggling offense, especially after last year's miraculous AL Central win despite their batting woes. While Austin Hedges provides defensive prowess as a backup catcher, David Fry is stepping up as a potential option.
Having recovered from elbow surgery, Fry is 2-for-6 in his first two games and boasts a career wRC+ of 110. Manager Stephen Vogt might lean on Fry if Naylor continues to struggle.
Ideally, Naylor will recapture his form from the end of last season, but he needs to start finding his rhythm soon for the Guardians to stay competitive.