Bo Naylor, a former catcher for the Cleveland Guardians, testified Thursday in a New York sports betting trial that he did not know gamblers could bet on individual pitches until the criminal case emerged. Naylor, who is currently with the Milwaukee Brewers, was called as a defense witness in the trial of former Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz.
Under cross-examination by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Simmons, Naylor stated, "I didn't know that before. I didn't know that until the situation." The prosecutor attempted to ask if he knew people bet large sums of money on individual pitches, but defense lawyers successfully objected.
The testimony highlighted the rapid growth of sports betting possibilities since the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for wider legalization in 2018. Betting on specific outcomes like a single pitch is a form of prop betting, which has become increasingly popular.
Naylor testified that catchers and pitchers develop strategies before games, discussing which pitches to throw and where to aim them based on batter tendencies. He also acknowledged that pitchers, even skilled ones like Clase, cannot guarantee every pitch will land precisely as intended.
Clase and Ortiz have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges. Prosecutors allege they accepted thousands of dollars in payments to provide information to gamblers, enabling them to win at least $460,000. Clase reportedly began providing information to bettors in 2023, recruiting Ortiz into the scheme in 2025. Both players are currently on unpaid leave from the Guardians and are free on bail.
Naylor, who is not close friends with Clase or Ortiz, also acknowledged seeing Clase frequently on his phone in the locker room, a detail relevant to prosecutors' allegations that Clase may have broken MLB rules by communicating with gamblers during games. Naylor also confirmed that pitchers have the ultimate authority over which pitch is thrown, as they can override a catcher's signal.