Canadian Baseball Network POW, Week VII -- Bo Naylor
Former Ontario Blue Jays C Bo Naylor is a CBN Player of the Week after collecting nine hits at double-A Akron.
May 24, 2022
By George Farelli
Canadian Baseball Network.
You may have caught a highlight or two of Josh Naylor running around the bases like he had done something special.
Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) drove in eight runs as the Cleveland Guardians rallied to beat the Chicago White Sox 12-9 in extras on the South Side of Chicago on May 9.
How the game that was for the former Miami Marlin as he came to the plate three times in the final four innings:
Former Ontario Blue Jay 1B Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.)
_ A run-scoring double in the eighth.
_ A game-tying grand slam with two out in the ninth.
_ And a three-run homer in the 11th capping the comeback. It was the first multi-homer game for the 5-foot-11, 250-pound Naylor, back from a horrific leg injury in 2021. He finished the night 10-for-17 with runners in scoring position this year.
Meanwhile, younger brother Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) was the Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Week for Week VII. He had the most hits of the 107 Canadians in the minors, batting .429 (9-for-21) with two homers and four RBIs.
How the week that was for Cleveland’s former first round pick as he:
_ Batted leadoff, caught and had two hits, including a homer, as the Akron Rubber Ducks beat the Binghamton Rumble Ponies 5-2 before 6,376 fans at Mirabato Stadium. Naylor hit the first pitch of the game over the centre field fence, walked in the fifth and beat out a single in the ninth, but was thrown out stealing.
_ Caught, hit lead off and added two more hits in a 5-3 win against Binghamton before 893 fans. Again he jumped on the first pitch to open the game with a double to left and scored in the two-run first. He then doubled to left on a 3-1 pitch in the fifth.
_ Batted leadoff, caught, had two hits and drove in a pair of runs in a 13-1 romp over Binghamton in front of 1,365 fans. He beat out a bunt single in the seven-run fifth, hit a run-scoring fly ball to right in the sixth, singled on a liner to right in the seventh and hit a sacrifice fly to centre in the ninth.
_ Didn’t play in a 4-2 win against Binghamton in front of 2,542 fans.
_ Caught, hit lead off and added two more hits in a 5-4 loss to Binghamton before 2,059 fans. Opened the game by leading off with a walk, hit a line-drive double leading off the fourth, was hit by a pitch in the eighth.
_ Batted leadoff, caught and hit a solo homer in a 9-6 win against Binghamton before 1,228. He homered to right on a 2-0 pitch
On the season, he is hitting .287, with six doubles, two triples, three homers, 14 RBIs and an .897 OPS.
Best Offensive Weeks
Player/Class/Team AB R H HR RBI AVG
Bo Naylor AA Akron 21 6 9 2 4 .429
Jordan Nwogu A South Bend 12 1 5 - 3 .417
Owen Caissie A South Bend 23 6 8 2 10 .348
David Calabrese A Inland Empire 17 3 5 - - .294
Raphael Gladu IND Trois-Rivieres 23 7 10 - 2 .435
Brendon Dadson IND Ottawa 17 4 7 1 3 .412
Jonathan LacroIx Quebec 25 3 10 - 7 .400
T.J. Bennett Lake County 21 6 8 3 5 .381
Elliott Curtis IND Trois-Rivieres 22 5 8 1 4 .364
(Minimum 10 ABs)
Best Pitching
Garrett Hawkins RHP A Lake Elsinore Storm
GM W-L SV ER ERA H IP K WHIP
1 1-0 0 - 0.00 1 6.0 11 0.50
Garret Hawkins made another excellent start this week for the Lake Elsinore Storm, and this 22-year-old continues to produce a high level of consistency each time he takes the mound. On May 20 in a 14-3 win over the Visalia Rawhide, Hawkins (Biggar, Sask.) pitched six scoreless innings, gave up only one base hit while striking out 11 batters, to earn his second win of the season. His overall record in seven Class-A California League appearances, is now 2-2 with a 3.90 ERA, and his 45 strikeouts in 30 innings ranks him fourth best in the Cal League.
Minor League Player of the Week
Week I - INF Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) Marlins
Week II _ OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) A’s
Week III _ OF Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) Brewers
Week IV _ RHP Landon Leach (Pickering, Ont,) Braves
Week V _ RHP Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, BC), Braves