Josh Naylor

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Josh Naylor
Naylor with the Cleveland Guardians in 2023
Seattle Mariners – No. 12
First baseman
Born: (1997-06-22) June 22, 1997 (age 28)
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
MLB debut
May 24, 2019, for the San Diego Padres
MLB statistics
(through 2025 season)
Batting average.269
Home runs104
Runs batted in435
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Canada
18U Baseball World Championship
Silver medal – second place 2012 Seoul Team

Joshua-Douglas James Naylor (born June 22, 1997) is a Canadian professional baseball first baseman for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians, and Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Miami Marlins selected Naylor with the 12th overall pick in the 2015 MLB draft and traded him to the Padres in 2016. He made his MLB debut in 2019. The Padres traded Naylor to Cleveland in August 2020. He was named an MLB All-Star in 2024. The Guardians traded him after the 2024 season to the Diamondbacks, who then dealt him to the Mariners in July 2025.

Amateur career

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As an amateur, Naylor played for the Ontario Blue Jays of the Canadian Premier Baseball League, a travel baseball team composed of the top young players in Ontario.

Naylor attended St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario. He made the Canadian junior national baseball team at the age of 15, winning the silver medal at the Under-18 Baseball World Cup held in South Korea in 2012.[1][2] He won the bronze medal at the 2014 Under-18 Baseball World Cup,[3] and competed in the 2015 Under-18 Baseball World Cup.[4]

Naylor in 2014

In 2014, Naylor was one of the ten high school invitees to the MLB Junior Select Home Run Derby during the MLB All-Star Week at Target Field, becoming the first Canadian to participate in the event.[5] He finished in second place.[2] Later in 2014, he appeared in the Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park and the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game at Wrigley Field.[6]

Naylor committed to play college baseball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.[7] In 2015, Perfect Game ranked Naylor among the top 50 best prospects in that year's Major League Baseball Draft, and he made Baseball America's High School All-American first team.[8]

Professional career

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Miami Marlins

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The Miami Marlins selected Naylor in the first round, with the 12th overall selection of the 2015 MLB draft.[9][10] He signed with the Marlins after his June 25 graduation from St. Joan of Arc for a $2.25 million signing bonus and was assigned to the Gulf Coast Marlins of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League for his professional debut.[11][12] He played in 25 games in 2015, posting a .327 batting average with one home run and 16 RBIs.

Naylor began the 2016 season with the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the Single-A South Atlantic League.[13] In June, he was suspended without pay after injuring teammate and rooommate Stone Garrett with a knife as part of a prank. After the incident, Marlins general manager Michael Hill said "I don't think you'll see Josh Naylor goofing around with knives anymore".[14][15] He was selected to appear in the All-Star Futures Game.[16]

San Diego Padres

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On July 29, 2016, the Marlins traded Naylor, Carter Capps, Jarred Cosart, and Luis Castillo to the San Diego Padres for pitchers Andrew Cashner, Colin Rea, Tayron Guerrero, and cash considerations.[17] Naylor was assigned to the Lake Elsinore Storm of the High-A California League. In 122 games between the Grasshoppers and the Storm, he batted .264 with 12 home runs and 75 runs batted in.[18]

Naylor with San Diego in 2019

Naylor played for Team Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.[19] He began the 2017 minor league season with Lake Elsinore.[20] The Padres promoted him to the San Antonio Missions of the Double-A Texas League in July.[21] Naylor finished 2017 with a combined .280 average with ten home runs and 64 RBIs between both clubs.[22] He returned to San Antonio in 2018 and began playing as an outfielder.[23]

Naylor opened the 2019 season with the El Paso Chihuahuas of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.[24] On May 24, 2019, Naylor was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[25] He made his MLB debut that night, facing the Toronto Blue Jays. His first major league hit was an RBI double off Toronto's Edwin Jackson on May 25.[26] In 94 games during his rookie campaign, Naylor slashed .249/.315/.403 with eight home runs and 32 RBI. In the outfield, he committed six errors and had the lowest fielding percentage of any outfielder.[27][28][29]

Naylor played in 18 games for San Diego in 2020, batting .278/.316/.417 with one home run, four RBI, and one stolen base. He split time between designated hitter, first base, the outfield, and a pinch hitting role.[30]

Cleveland Indians / Guardians

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On August 31, 2020, the Padres traded Naylor, along with Austin Hedges, Cal Quantrill, and minor leaguers Gabriel Arias, Owen Miller, and Joey Cantillo, to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Mike Clevinger, Greg Allen, and Matt Waldron.[31] In the American League Wild Card Series, Naylor recorded five hits in his first five career postseason plate appearances, the first player in MLB history to do so. He batted 5-for-7 with 1 home run and 3 RBI as Cleveland was swept by the New York Yankees.[32][33][34]

During a game against the Minnesota Twins on June 27, 2021, Naylor collided with second baseman Ernie Clement while trying to catch a pop up in shallow right field. He broke and dislocated his ankle, which required season-ending surgery.[35] In 69 appearances, Naylor had hit .253/.301/.399 with seven home runs and 22 RBI.[36]

Naylor returned from his injury in April 2022, missing the first week of the season.[37] On May 9, in a game against the Chicago White Sox, Naylor became the first player in major league history to hit two three-run home runs or grand slams in the ninth inning or later of the same game. He also became the first player to have at least eight RBI in the eighth inning or later since RBI became an official statistic in 1920. After an RBI double in the 8th inning, his first home run was a game-tying grand slam in the top of the 9th off Liam Hendriks to tie the game at eight runs apiece, then his second home run was a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the 11th off Ryan Burr, which would win the game 12–9.[38] Naylor played in 122 games for the Guardians, slashing .256/.319/.452 with 20 home runs and 79 RBI.[39] He played poorly in his second trip to the postseason, batting .194 with one double and one home run as the Yankees again eliminated Cleveland, this year in the American League Division Series.[33][40]

Josh Naylor looking at his bat in 2023
Naylor in 2023

On January 13, 2023, Naylor agreed to a one-year, $3.35 million contract with the Guardians, avoiding salary arbitration.[41] In 121 games for Cleveland, he batted .308/.354/.489 with 17 home runs, 97 RBI, and 10 stolen bases.[42] He received one tenth place vote for American League Most Valuable Player and won the Tip O'Neill Award, given to the best Canadian baseball player.[43]

Naylor batting in 2024

Naylor was named to the All-Star Game in 2024. However, he fared worse after the All-Star break, batting .220 with a .717 on-base plus slugging (OPS).[44] In 152 games in 2024, he hit .243/.320/.456 with career-highs in home runs (31) and RBI (108).[45] In the postseason, Naylor batted .225 with two doubles and 5 RBIs as the Yankees beat the Guardians in the American League Championship Series.[33]

Arizona Diamondbacks

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On December 21, 2024, the Guardians traded Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks for pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance draft pick in the 2025 MLB draft, later used to select Canadian pitcher Will Hynes.[46][47][48] In January 2025, Naylor agreed to a one-year, $10.9 million contract, avoiding his final opportunity for arbitration.[49] On June 9, 2025, Naylor hit a walk-off 11th inning grand slam off Carlos Vargas of the Seattle Mariners.[50][51] He made 93 appearances for the Diamondbacks, batting .292/.360/.447 with 11 home runs, 59 RBI, and 11 stolen bases.[52]

Seattle Mariners

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On July 24, 2025, the Diamondbacks traded Naylor to the Seattle Mariners for pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi.[52][53][54] On September 19, Naylor hit his 20th home run of the season, becoming the 14th first baseman in major league history with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season.[55] On September 23, Naylor hit a bases loaded, two-out double in the eighth inning to put the Mariners ahead of the Colorado Rockies, 4–3, subsequently the game's final score. The win clinched the Mariners a spot in the postseason.[56] On September 26, Naylor stole his 30th base, making him the fourth major league first baseman with a 20 home run, 30 stolen base season.[57] Naylor's successful base stealing came despite being one of the slowest runners in baseball. He was only caught stealing twice in 2025, both before the trade to Seattle.[58][59][60] With the Diamondbacks and Mariners in 2025, Naylor hit .295/.353/.462 with 20 home runs, 92 RBI, and 30 stolen bases.[61]

International career

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Naylor has played for the Canada national baseball team in international tournaments, beginning in youth tournaments in 2015.[1][4][62] He played for Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, batting 0-for-2 in two games.[19][63][64] Naylor declined to play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, citing an ankle injury.[65][66]

Player profile

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Naylor is 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighs 235 pounds (107 kg).[2] He profiles as a power hitter,[4] and Greg Hamilton, the coach of the Canadian national junior team, described Naylor's hitting approach as "advanced".[67]

Personal life

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A posed photo of, left to right, Myles Naylor in a tan hoodie, Josh Naylor in a white Guardians jersey and Bo Naylor in a white Guardians jersey, with a short fan in a red Cleveland hat and jersey in front of Josh.
Naylor (center) with his brothers Bo (right) and Myles (left) and a fan (bottom).

Naylor is the eldest of three brothers[68] in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. His brother, Bo Naylor, is a catcher for the Cleveland Guardians,[69] Their younger brother Myles Naylor plays for the Athletics organization.[70] All three were first round MLB draft picks.[71] Their cousin is Denzel Clarke.[72] Naylor and his brothers grew up playing hockey.[61]

Naylor is married to Canadian singer Chantel Collado.[61][73]

References

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  1. ^ a b Colpitts, Iain (September 25, 2012). "Future looks bright for young baseball star". The Mississauga News. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Josh Naylor". ESPN. September 18, 2025. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
  3. ^ "Naylor, Orimoloye named High School All-Americans". Baseball Canada. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "Naylor, Orimoloye among Canada's best youth players". Toronto Blue Jays. Archived from the original on September 29, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  5. ^ Colpitts, Iain (June 25, 2014). "Mississauga's Josh Naylor selected for home run derby". The Mississauga News. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  6. ^ Couto, Melissa (July 25, 2014). "CBN: Teenage star Naylor puts Canada on map". Sportsnet. Canadian Baseball Network. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  7. ^ Colpitts, Iain (October 23, 2014). "Naylor commits to Texas Tech". The Mississauga News. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  8. ^ Elliott, Bob (March 13, 2015). "Canada's baseball future on display". Toronto Sun. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  9. ^ Spencer, Clark (June 8, 2015). "Lefty slugger Josh Naylor is top pick for Marlins in draft". The Miami Herald. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  10. ^ Grange, Michael (June 9, 2015). "Naylor soon to become household Canadian name". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  11. ^ Frisario, Joe (June 13, 2015). "First-rounder visits Miami, hits 'em out in BP". MLB.com. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  12. ^ De Nicola, Christina (July 2, 2015). "Marlins sign 12th pick of First-Year Player Draft Josh Naylor". Fox Sports Florida. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  13. ^ Mills, Jeff (April 5, 2016). "Marlins prospect Isael Soto back with Grasshoppers after knee injury last season". Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  14. ^ Mills, Jeff (June 6, 2016). "Prank gone wrong costs Grasshoppers two top prospects". Greensboro News & Record. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  15. ^ Smith, Daren (July 15, 2016). "Marlins: Naylor injures teammate with knife". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  16. ^ Mills, Jeff (June 28, 2016). "Grasshoppers slugger Josh Naylor picked to play in All-Star Futures Game". Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  17. ^ "Padres acquire four players from Miami Marlins in seven-player trade". MLB.com (Press release). July 29, 2016. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  18. ^ Maun, Tyler (March 15, 2017). "Naylor comfortable in first Padres camp". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  19. ^ a b Sanders, Jeff (July 13, 2017). "WBC an education for Padres minor leaguers". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  20. ^ "Josh Naylor dominating in return to Cal League". The San Diego Union-Tribune. May 27, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  21. ^ Sanders, Jeff (July 13, 2017). "Cal Quantrill, Josh Naylor promoted to San Antonio". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  22. ^ "Josh Naylor Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  23. ^ Bumbaca, Chris (April 7, 2018). "Naylor leaves yard twice for Missions". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  24. ^ Chávez, Felix F. (April 5, 2019). "El Paso Chihuahuas outfielder Josh Naylor one to watch out for this season". El Paso Times. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  25. ^ Hornick, Matt (May 24, 2019). "Mississauga native Josh Naylor to make MLB debut for Padres in Canada". Sporting News. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  26. ^ "SD@TOR: Naylor tallies 1st career hit, RBI in the 1st | 05/25/2019". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  27. ^ Sikes, Ryan (May 19, 2020). "Padres: 2020 player profile, Josh Naylor". Friars on Base. FanSided. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  28. ^ "Major League Leaders | Fielding | 2019". FanGraphs.
  29. ^ Sanders, Jeff (January 1, 2020). "Padres roster review: Josh Naylor". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  30. ^ "Josh Naylor 2020 Batting Game Logs". Baseball Reference. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  31. ^ Hoynes, Paul (August 31, 2020). "Cleveland Indians trade Mike Clevinger, Greg Allen and player to be named to San Diego for six players". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  32. ^ Bell, Mandy (October 1, 2020). "Josh Naylor starts postseason 5-for-5 at the plate". MLB.com. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  33. ^ a b c "Josh Naylor Postseason Batting Game Logs". Baseball Reference. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  34. ^ "Josh Naylor stays hot, cracks a 2-run double in 1st | 09/30/2020". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  35. ^ "Indians' Naylor has broken ankle after collision". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 28, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  36. ^ "Josh Naylor 2021 batting Stats Per Game - MLB". ESPN. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  37. ^ Lewis, Ryan (April 16, 2022). "Josh Naylor completes long journey back from ankle surgery, calls it 'awesome, humbling'". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  38. ^ Bell, Mandy (May 10, 2022). "Josh Naylor homers twice in Guardians win over White Sox". MLB.com. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  39. ^ "Josh Naylor 2022 batting Stats Per Game - MLB". ESPN. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  40. ^ MLB (October 16, 2022). Josh Naylor ELECTRIFIES the Cleveland crowd with this MONSTER home run! (Cuts lead to 1). Retrieved October 1, 2025 – via YouTube.
  41. ^ "2023 MLB Arbitration Tracker". MLBTradeRumors. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  42. ^ "Josh Naylor 2023 batting Stats Per Game - MLB". ESPN. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  43. ^ "Josh Naylor captures Tip O'Neill Award for 2023". Baseball Canada. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  44. ^ Pluto, Terry (December 22, 2024). "Why did the Guardians trade Josh Naylor? – Terry Pluto". cleveland. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  45. ^ "Josh Naylor 2024 batting Stats Per Game - MLB". ESPN. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  46. ^ Lewis, Ryan (December 21, 2024). "Cleveland Guardians trade Josh Naylor, re-acquire Carlos Santana". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  47. ^ Gilbert, Steve (December 21, 2024). "D-backs acquire Josh Naylor in trade with Guardians". MLB.com. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
  48. ^ "Guardians Use Draft Pick From Josh Naylor Trade On Fascinating Pitcher". On SI. July 14, 2025. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  49. ^ "Diamondbacks' Josh Naylor: Settles at $10.9 million". CBS Sports. January 9, 2025. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  50. ^ MLB (June 9, 2025). WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM from Josh Naylor wins the game for the Diamondbacks! (Full inning). Retrieved October 1, 2025 – via YouTube.
  51. ^ Weiner, Alex (June 9, 2025). "Naylor walk-off grand slam lifts Diamondbacks over Mariners". Arizona Sports. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  52. ^ a b Franco, Anthony (July 24, 2025). "Mariners Acquire Josh Naylor". MLB Trade Rumors.
  53. ^ Kramer, Daniel (July 24, 2025). "Mariners trade for slugger Josh Naylor from D-backs". MLB.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  54. ^ Passan, Jeff (July 24, 2025). "Mariners acquire slugger Josh Naylor in trade with D-backs". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  55. ^ Kramer, Daniel (September 20, 2025). "Mariners quiet Houston with booming blasts en route to top of AL West". MLB.com. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  56. ^ Til, Cameron Van (September 23, 2025). "They're in! Seattle Mariners clinch playoffs on Naylor's 2B". Seattle Sports. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  57. ^ "Mariners' Josh Naylor is 4th player in MLB history to reach this stolen base feat | Sporting News Canada". Sporting News. September 27, 2025. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  58. ^ Jennings, Chad (August 26, 2025). "He's big. He's slow. And now he's making stolen base history. What happened?". The Athletic. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  59. ^ Diamond, Jared (September 24, 2025). "He's Short, Stout and Really Slow—and He's the Best Base-Stealer in Baseball". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2025 – via MSN.com.
  60. ^ Xu, Kathryn (August 7, 2025). "Josh Naylor Is So Slow That Nobody Can Catch Him | Defector". Defector Media. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  61. ^ a b c "Josh Naylor Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  62. ^ "Canada's 3-time U-18 Baseball World Cup star Josh Naylor ready for MLB debut". World Baseball Softball Confederation. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  63. ^ Bell, Mandy (February 14, 2023). "Bo Naylor cherishing chance to represent Canada in Classic". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  64. ^ "WBC Stats | WBC Team Stats | WBC Leaders". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  65. ^ Lewis, Ryan (January 31, 2023). "Josh Naylor glad to have regular offseason, but likely won't play for Canada in 2023 WBC". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  66. ^ "Guardians' Josh Naylor: No WBC to protect ankle". CBS Sports. February 10, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  67. ^ Toman, Chris (September 22, 2013). "Naylor, Orimoloye impressing at Tournament 12". MLB.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  68. ^ "Big Time Power Hitting '15 Josh Naylor Breaks Down Past, Present and Future". Prep Baseball Report. October 16, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  69. ^ Melissa Couto (July 12, 2017). "Naylor brothers Josh, Noah rising on MLB radar | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  70. ^ Castrovince, Anthony (July 10, 2023). "Myles, Bo and Josh Naylor discuss brotherhood". MLB.com. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  71. ^ Castrovince, Anthony (July 10, 2023). "Meet the 3rd Naylor brother, who's waiting in the wings". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  72. ^ Gallegos, Martin (March 11, 2025). "For A's No. 6 prospect Clarke, Spring Breakout is a family affair". MLB.com. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  73. ^ Kadar, Dan (October 19, 2024). "Who is Chantel Collado? Josh Naylor's fiancee cheers on Guardians". Akron Beacon Journal.
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