"A special human being."
That's how Bo Naylor chose to describe Austin Hedges when asked about what his impact will be on himself and the rest of the Cleveland Guardians roster.
Hedges has never been known for being the best or most talented player on the field. However, he's gained a strong reputation for his leadership and personality, especially during the Texas Rangers' World Series run last season. There's a lot for everyone to learn from Hedges, especially Naylor.
This isn't the first time that Bo and Hedges have been teammates. The two shared the dugout at the end of the 2022 season when Naylor was initially called up. Hedges was Cleveland's primary catcher at the time but now those roles are reversed.
Bo is ready to be the everyday catcher for the Guardians, but he's still going to soak in as much knowledge as he can from Hedgey.
"I’m very excited," said Naylor on the Cleveland Guardians Podcast. " In that little short span of time [end of 2022] I got to kind of sit back and see the work that he does to prepare for the game, to prepare for the staff to command game, and lead the team. I think having him along on this journey is amazing. I’m super happy he’s back and I think that he’s very excited as well this time."
Naylor admitted that get struggled on offense early in 2023 because he was so focused on "trying to take care of the things behind the scenes." Now that Hedges is here, he can help Bo learn how to prep and prepare so Naylor can be the best player he can both on offense and defense.
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