Fastball

Cleveland Guardians' Josh Naylor Joins Lists Fun List in Canadian Baseball History

While most the attention for the Cleveland Guardians is on Steven Kwan right now, perhaps we should be paying more attention to slugger Josh Naylor.

Brady Farkas

Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) watches his shot to right field for a double during the fifth inning of an MLB game against the Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field on June 20.
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) watches his shot to right field for a double during the fifth inning of an MLB game against the Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field on June 20. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Cleveland Guardians have won five straight games after sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays this weekend. The Guardians, who continue to lead the American League Central, are 48-26 and seeking another playoff berth after a year off in 2022.

Right now, most of the attention for Cleveland seems to be going to outielder Steven Kwan, who is chasing a .400 average, but it should also be going to slugger Josh Naylor, who is putting up a monster season behind Jose Ramirez in the lineup.

In fact, Naylor, a native of Canada, joined a fun list in Canadian baseball history with another blast on Sunday.

Per @StatsCentre:

Fewest games for a Canadian player to reach 20 HR in a season:
60- Larry Walker (1995)
61- Walker (1999)
62- Walker (2001)
65- Walker (1997)
67- Justin Morneau (2007)
70- Jason Bay (2006)
70- Joey Votto (2017)
72- Josh Naylor (2024 via 1 in today's 6-5 win over TOR)

Walker is in the Hall of Fame, and Votto may eventually get there, so that's great company to be in for Naylor. The big first baseman is hitting .244 this year with the 20 homers, 58 RBI and three stolen bases. The 27-year-old is posting a .835 OPS as well in his sixth major league season. He made his debut in 2019 with the San Diego Padres but was traded to Cleveland during the 2020 season.

The Guardians will start a big series on Monday night with the Baltimore Orioles, who are another contender in the American League. First pitch from Camden Yards is set for 6:35 p.m. ET.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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