Josh Naylor Stats
- Height / Weight
- 5' 11" / 250 lbs.
- Date of Birth (Age)
- 6/22/1997 (25)
- Experience
- 1
- College
- None
Josh Naylor Season Stats
Last 10 Games
Josh Naylor News
The Cleveland Guardians and first baseman/outfielder Josh Naylor avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.35 million deal on Friday. Naylor had by far his best season in the big leagues for Cleveland last year, posting career-highs in home runs (20), RBI (79), runs scored (47) and stolen bases (six) in 122 games while slashing .256/.319/.452 with a .771 OPS. The 25-year-old left-handed slugger from Canada has hit just .209 in his career against left-handed pitchers in four seasons, though, so he loses a lot of mixed league value for fantasy managers as a platoon player for the Guardians.
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor is starting at first base and is hitting fifth in the batting order for Game 1 of the American League Wild-Card Series against the Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander Shane McClanahan on Friday. It's an interesting choice for the first game of a three-game series, as Naylor hit just .173 (19-for-110) with one of his 20 home runs this season against left-handed pitchers. He's been swinging a hot stick in 12 games since Sept. 19, though, going 13-for-45 (.289) with three home runs, 13 RBI, seven walks, eight runs scored and a stolen base.
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor participated in the onslaught on the Minnesota Twins on Monday, going 2-for-3 with a three-run home run, a double, and a walk during the 11-4 contest. It ended the 25-year-old's 11-game homeless streak and was his first multi-hit game in his last 10. Naylor's having the best offensive season of his career, slashing .256/.316/.447 with 18 HRs, 40 runs, 69 RBI, and five steals across 111 games. He might not be a superstar, but his numbers make him a useful player in just about every league.
Batting Order
| 1 | Steven Kwan |
| 2 | Amed Rosario |
| 3 | José Ramírez |
| 4 | Oscar Gonzalez |
| 5 | Josh Naylor |
| 6 | Gabriel Arias |
| 7 | Andrés Giménez |
| 8 | Austin Hedges |
| 9 | Myles Straw |
Josh Naylor Stats
Last 10 Games
Batting Order
| 1 | Steven Kwan |
| 2 | Amed Rosario |
| 3 | José Ramírez |
| 4 | Oscar Gonzalez |
| 5 | Josh Naylor |
| 6 | Gabriel Arias |
| 7 | Andrés Giménez |
| 8 | Austin Hedges |
| 9 | Myles Straw |
Josh Naylor had himself a fine 2022 season on his return from a serious leg injury sustained in 2021. In 122 games, Naylor hit .256/.319/.452 with 20 homers, 79 RBI, 47 runs and six stolen bases. The Guardians' signing of Josh Bell does leave some question marks about Naylor's playing time, although they have a vacant DH spot so either of them can fit in the lineup as the DH when the other plays first base. And with Naylor's struggles against left-handed pitching (LHP), it wouldn't be a surprise to see him sit against some southpaws this year. Against LHP, Naylor hit .173/.276/.236 (127 plate appearances) but against RHP, Naylor had a .283/.334/.522 (371 plate appearances) while just one of his 20 homers came against LHP. If Naylor does find himself in a strict platoon, he'll be on the strong side of one and his numbers last year show us that Naylor can still be a serviceable fantasy player in that role. The loss of outfield eligibility in most formats does hurt his value but his ADP of ~220 (24th first baseman) leaves room for Naylor to provide value as a corner infielder/backup first baseman. If you just expect similar numbers to last season, you shouldn't be left disappointed by Naylor in 2023.
