Josh Naylor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Josh Naylor
Naylor with the Cleveland Guardians in 2023
Arizona Diamondbacks – No. 22
First baseman
Born: (1997-06-22) June 22, 1997 (age 28) Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Bats: Left Throws: Left
debut
May 24, 2019, for the San Diego Padres
MLB statistics (through July 12, 2025)
Batting average	.267
Home runs	95
Runs batted in	401
Teams
San Diego Padres (2019–2020) Cleveland Indians / Guardians (2020–2024) Arizona Diamondbacks (2025–present)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (2024)
Medals Men's baseball Representing CAN 18U Baseball World Championship Silver 2012 Seoul Team

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

The Miami Marlins picked Naylor in the 2015 MLB draft. They traded him to the Padres in 2016. He started playing in MLB in 2019. The Padres traded Naylor to Cleveland in 2020. He was an MLB All-Star in 2024. After the 2024 season, the Guardians traded him to the Diamondbacks.

Early Baseball Days

Josh Naylor played for the Ontario Blue Jays. This was a top travel baseball team in Canada. They played in many tournaments across North America. The team had the best young players from Ontario.

Naylor went to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School. It is in Mississauga, Ontario. He joined the Canadian junior national baseball team when he was 15.

World Cup Success

Naylor won a silver medal at the Under-18 Baseball World Cup. This event took place in South Korea in 2012. He also won a bronze medal at the 2014 Under-18 Baseball World Cup. He played in the 2015 Under-18 Baseball World Cup too.

Naylor in 2014

In 2014, Naylor was one of ten high school players invited to the MLB Junior Select Home Run Derby. This was part of the MLB All-Star Week. He was the first Canadian to join this event. He finished in second place. Later in 2014, he played in other important games. These included the Perfect Game All-American Classic. He also played in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game.

Naylor planned to play college baseball at Texas Tech University. Perfect Game ranked him as a top player for the 2015 MLB Draft. Baseball America also named him to their High School All-American first team.

Professional Baseball Career

Miami Marlins Team

The Miami Marlins chose Naylor in the first round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 12th player picked overall. He signed with the Marlins after finishing high school. He started his professional career with the Gulf Coast Marlins. This team is in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Naylor played 25 games for them. He had a .327 batting average. He also hit one home run and had 16 RBIs.

Naylor started the 2016 season with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. This team is in the Single–A South Atlantic League. He was chosen to play in the 2016 All-Star Futures Game.

San Diego Padres Team

On July 29, 2016, the Marlins traded Naylor to the San Diego Padres. He was sent to the Lake Elsinore Storm. This team is in the High–A California League. In 122 games that year, Naylor batted .264. He hit 12 home runs and had 75 RBIs.

Naylor with the San Diego Padres

Naylor played for Team Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He started 2017 with Lake Elsinore. The Padres moved him to the San Antonio Missions in July. This team is in the Double–A Texas League. In 2017, Naylor had a .280 average. He hit ten home runs and had 64 RBIs. In 2018, he returned to San Antonio. He also started playing as an outfielder.

Naylor began the 2019 season with the El Paso Chihuahuas. This team is in the Triple–A Pacific Coast League. On May 24, 2019, Naylor joined the major leagues for the first time. He played his first MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays. In 94 games that year, Naylor batted .249. He hit eight home runs and had 32 RBIs.

Naylor played for San Diego in 2020. He batted .278. He hit one home run and had four RBIs.

Cleveland Indians / Guardians Team

Josh Naylor in 2024

On August 31, 2020, the Padres traded Naylor to the Cleveland Indians. In the 2020 American League Wild Card Series, Naylor made history. He got five hits in his first five postseason chances. No other MLB player had done this before.

On June 27, 2021, Naylor was injured during a game. He broke his ankle and needed surgery. This ended his season. In 69 games, Naylor had batted .253. He hit seven home runs and had 22 RBIs.

On May 9, 2022, Naylor had an amazing game. He became the first player in MLB history to hit two three-run home runs or grand slams in the ninth inning or later of the same game. He also had at least eight RBIs in the eighth inning or later. This was the most since 1920. He hit a game-tying grand slam in the 9th inning. Then, he hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the 11th inning. This helped his team win 12–9. Naylor played 122 games for the Guardians. He batted .256. He hit 20 home runs and had 79 RBIs.

On January 13, 2023, Naylor signed a contract with the Guardians. In 121 games for Cleveland, he batted .308. He hit 17 home runs and had 97 RBIs. He also stole 10 bases. Naylor played 152 games for the Guardians in 2024. He hit .243. He had career-highs with 31 home runs and 108 RBIs.

Arizona Diamondbacks Team

On December 21, 2024, the Guardians traded Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Player Skills

Naylor is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 257 pounds. He is known as a power hitter. This means he hits the ball very hard and far. Greg Hamilton, his coach for the Canadian junior team, said Naylor's hitting style was "advanced."

Family Life

Josh Naylor is the oldest of three brothers. His parents are Chris and Jenice Naylor. They live in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. His brother, Bo Naylor, was also picked in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft. He plays for the Cleveland Guardians. His youngest brother, Myles Naylor, plays for the Athletics team. Denzel Clarke is his cousin.

Naylor married singer-songwriter Chantel Collado in January 2025.