Josh Naylor

Early Life and Amateur Career

Josh Naylor was born on June 22, 1997, in Burlington, Ontario, and grew up in Mississauga as a fan of the Toronto Blue Jays. He attended St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School, graduating in 2015, and his amateur career began at age 12 with the Ontario Blue Jays, an elite travel team in the Canadian Premier Baseball League. Naylor was the youngest player on a roster of mostly 16-year-olds, and his hitting prowess garnered national attention during his junior year of high school when he was invited to several prestigious events. In July 2014, he became the first Canadian to participate in the MLB Junior Select Home Run Derby at Target Field in Minneapolis, finishing second, and the following month he played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic in San Diego and the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Committed to play college baseball for Texas Tech University, Naylor was ranked among the top 50 draft prospects in 2015 and was named to Baseball America's High School All-American First Team.

Professional Career: Draft and Minor Leagues

The Miami Marlins selected Josh Naylor with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, and he signed for a $2.25 million bonus after his high school graduation. He made his professional debut with the Rookie-level GCL Marlins, batting .327 in 25 games, and began the 2016 season with the Single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers before being suspended in June after a prank with a knife injured teammate Stone Garrett. Midway through that season, Naylor was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game in San Diego, and on July 29, 2016, the Marlins traded Naylor along with Carter Capps, Jarred Cosart, and Luis Castillo to the San Diego Padres for Andrew Cashner, Colin Rea, Tayron Guerrero, and cash. He finished the year with the Advanced-A Lake Elsinore Storm, combining for a .264 average and 12 home runs, then spent 2017 with the Storm and the Double-A San Antonio Missions, earning another Futures Game selection and batting .280. In 2018, he transitioned to the outfield with the Missions, hitting .297 with 17 home runs, and he began the 2019 season strongly with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, posting a .314 average and 10 home runs in 54 games before his May call-up to the majors.

Major League Career

Josh Naylor made his MLB debut for the San Diego Padres on May 24, 2019, against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, and he recorded his first hit, an RBI double, the next day. In 94 games as a rookie, he batted .249 with eight home runs but struggled defensively in the outfield, and the shortened 2020 season saw him play 18 games for the Padres before a major trade on August 31 sent him to the Cleveland Indians along with Austin Hedges, Cal Quantrill, and three minor leaguers for Greg Allen, Matt Waldron, and Mike Clevinger. With Cleveland in 2020, he played 22 games and made an immediate postseason impact during the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees, where he recorded hits in his first five career postseason plate appearances, an MLB first, finishing the series batting .714 with a home run. The 2021 season was shortened for Naylor when he broke and dislocated his ankle in a collision on June 27, requiring season-ending surgery after 69 games, but he returned in April 2022 and made history on May 9 against the Chicago White Sox by becoming the first player ever to hit two home runs of three runs or more in the ninth inning or later of the same game, driving in eight runs from the eighth inning onward, another modern-era record.

He finished 2022 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs, and in 2023, after a slow start, Naylor was one of baseball's best hitters in June and July, finishing the year batting .308 with 17 home runs and 97 RBIs to earn his first Tip O'Neill Award. His breakout continued in 2024 when he was named an MLB All-Star for the first time, hitting 31 home runs with 108 RBIs, though his performance dipped after the All-Star break, and after the season Cleveland traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks on December 21 for pitcher Slade Cecconi and a draft pick. He signed a one-year, $10.9 million contract and began the 2025 season with Arizona, batting .292 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs in 93 games, including a walk-off grand slam on June 9, before being traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 24 for pitchers Ashton Izzi and Brandyn Garcia. With Seattle, he immediately became a key contributor, hitting a bases-clearing double on September 23 to clinch a playoff berth and stealing his 30th base on September 26 to become the fourth first baseman in MLB history with a 20-home run, 30-stolen base season, and in 54 games with the Mariners he batted .299 with nine home runs and 19 stolen bases, helping the team win the AL West.

Naylor excelled in the 2025 postseason, batting .340 with three home runs in 12 games. During the AL Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, he hit a two-run home run at Rogers Centre on October 13. He became the first Canadian-born player to hit a postseason home run against the Blue Jays. He also became the fourth Canadian-born player to hit a postseason home run in Canada. Following the season, he became a free agent and re-signed with the Mariners on a five-year, $92.5 million contract on November 17. In 2026, he continued as Seattle's starting first baseman, hitting his first two home runs of the season on April 13.

International Career with Team Canada

Josh Naylor has been a fixture on Canadian national teams since his youth. He played for the junior national team at the 2012 U-18 Baseball World Cup in Seoul, South Korea, at age 15 where Canada won a silver medal. He returned for the 2013 tournament in Taiwan and the 2015 event in Osaka, Japan. He became the first and only Canadian to compete in three editions of the U-18 Baseball World Cup. At the 2015 tournament, he was named to the All-World Team as a first baseman after leading the event in home runs and hits, batting .484 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. At the senior level, Naylor represented Canada at the 2017 World Baseball Classic as the youngest player on the roster at age 19. He declined participation in the 2023 WBC due to his ankle injury. He returned as team captain for the 2026 tournament, helping Canada advance out of pool play for the first time. He hit .200 with two walks during the 2026 event.

Player Profile and Style

Josh Naylor is listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 235 pounds, with a compact, powerful build suited for first base, and as a prospect he was touted as an advanced power hitter. Early in his MLB career, he was a below-average hitter prone to ground balls and struggled defensively as an outfielder, but a significant transformation began in 2022 when he became a full-time first baseman, lowering his strikeout rate while improving his batting average and power output. Naylor is renowned for his unique combination of power and speed for his position, exemplified by his 20-home run, 30-stolen base campaign in 2025, and despite being one of the slowest runners in the league by sprint speed, he has become an exceptionally efficient base stealer through savvy reads and jumps. He is also known for his distinctive style, frequently wearing custom cleats and belts, often ordered from a company owned by former MLB pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, which adds to his recognizable presence on the field.

Personal Life

Josh Naylor is biracial, with a white Canadian father and a mother of Jamaican descent, and he comes from a highly athletic family where his two brothers, Bo and Myles Naylor, were also first-round selections in the MLB draft. Bo is a catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, while Myles is a prospect in the Oakland Athletics' farm system, and the Naylor brothers are second cousins of Athletics centre fielder Denzel Clarke, as their mother is cousins with Clarke's mother, Donna Smellie. Growing up in Mississauga, Josh and his brothers also played ice hockey, and Naylor married his high school sweetheart, Bachata singer Chantel Collado, on January 4, 2025, in Vaughan, Ontario. The couple, who attended St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School together and went to prom in June 2015, welcomed their first child in October 2025 during the AL Division Series, and former teammate Myles Straw attended Naylor's baby shower, highlighting the close bonds within his baseball circle.

Career Statistics and Highlights

Through the 2026 season, Josh Naylor has compiled a career batting average of .268 with 114 home runs and 853 hits. His 2025 season was historically significant as he became the fourth first baseman in MLB history with at least 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season. That season, split between Arizona and Seattle, he hit a combined .295 with 20 home runs, 92 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. With Seattle alone, he stole 19 bases without being caught. His postseason performance in 2025 was impressive as he slashed .340/.392/.574. Naylor's major career honours include two Tip O'Neill Awards in 2023 and 2025. He also earned an MLB All-Star selection in 2024.

Awards and Records

Throughout his career, Josh Naylor has achieved several notable awards and set unique records, particularly for a Canadian first baseman. He has won the Tip O'Neill Award as the best Canadian baseball player twice, in 2023 and 2025, and was selected as an American League All-Star reserve in 2024. As a junior, he was named to the All-World Team at the 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup, and in the majors he set records for the most consecutive hits to start a postseason career (five in 2020) and for hitting two multi-run homers in the ninth inning or later of a single game (2022). His 2025 campaign placed him among baseball's elite, as he became the fourth first baseman ever with a 20-home run, 30-stolen base season and the first Canadian to reach those totals since Larry Walker in 1997.

• Tip O'Neill Award (2023, 2025): Awarded annually to the best Canadian baseball player.
• MLB All-Star (2024): Selected as an American League reserve.
• All-World Team, U-18 Baseball World Cup (2015): Named the tournament's top first baseman.
• First player in MLB history with hits in first five career postseason plate appearances (2020 AL Wild Card Series).
• First player in MLB history with two home runs of three-plus RBIs in the ninth inning or later of the same game (May 9, 2022).
• Fourth first baseman in MLB history with a 20-home run, 30-stolen base season (2025).
• First Canadian-born player to hit a postseason home run against the Toronto Blue Jays (2025 ALCS).
• Mariners franchise record for most stolen bases by a first baseman in a season (19 in 2025).

Questions about Josh Naylor

What teams has Josh Naylor played for in MLB?

Josh Naylor has played for four Major League Baseball teams. He began his career with the San Diego Padres after making his debut in 2019. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians (later renamed Guardians) during the 2020 season and played there through the 2024 campaign. After the 2024 season, he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks and began the 2025 season with them before being traded again to the Seattle Mariners in July 2025. He re-signed with the Mariners on a long-term contract and remains with the team as of 2026.

What is Josh Naylor's contract with the Seattle Mariners?

Following the 2025 season, Josh Naylor signed a five-year contract with the Seattle Mariners worth $92.5 million. The deal runs through the 2030 season. This contract came after a highly productive half-season with the Mariners in 2025, where he helped the team win the AL West and make a deep playoff run. The signing solidified Naylor as the Mariners' long-term solution at first base and a core piece of their lineup.

Has Josh Naylor played for Team Canada?

Yes, Josh Naylor has been a key player for the Canadian national baseball team across multiple levels. As a junior, he played in three U-18 Baseball World Cups (2012, 2013, 2015), becoming the only Canadian to do so. At the senior level, he competed in the World Baseball Classic in 2017 as the youngest player on the roster and again in 2026, where he served as team captain. He helped Canada advance out of the group stage for the first time in WBC history in 2026. He declined to play in the 2023 WBC due to injury recovery.

What records does Josh Naylor hold?

Josh Naylor holds several unique MLB records. In the 2020 postseason, he became the first player ever to record a hit in each of his first five career postseason plate appearances. On May 9, 2022, he became the first player in MLB history to hit two home runs of three runs or more in the ninth inning or later of the same game. In 2025, he joined an exclusive club as only the fourth first baseman in history to have a 20-home run, 30-stolen base season. He also set a Seattle Mariners franchise record for most stolen bases in a season by a first baseman with 19 in 2025.

Are Josh Naylor's brothers also professional baseball players?

Yes, both of Josh Naylor's younger brothers are professional baseball players who were also first-round draft picks. His brother Bo Naylor is a catcher who played with Josh on the Cleveland Guardians and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. Their youngest brother, Myles Naylor, is a prospect in the Oakland Athletics' farm system. The Naylor brothers are also second cousins of another MLB player, Athletics centre fielder Denzel Clarke. The family grew up playing both baseball and ice hockey in Mississauga, Ontario.

Why is Josh Naylor significant for Canadian baseball?

Josh Naylor is a significant figure in Canadian baseball as one of the country's most productive and recognizable major leaguers. His accomplishments include winning the Tip O'Neill Award as Canada's top player twice (2023, 2025) and being named an MLB All-Star in 2024. His historic 20-home run, 30-stolen base season in 2025 was the first by a Canadian since Larry Walker's MVP year in 1997. As a captain for Team Canada at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, he helped lead the national team to its best-ever finish. His success as a high first-round draft pick and consistent MLB performer has inspired young players across Canada.

Sources and further reading

• Josh Naylor (Wikipedia)
• Josh Naylor Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status ... (baseball-reference.com)
• Josh Naylor 12 - Seattle Mariners (mlb.com)
• Mariners GM calls Canada's Josh Naylor an off-season ' ... (sportsnet.ca)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-28.