Josh Naylor Becomes First Cleveland Hitter Since Michael Brantley To Do This
It's hard to imagine what the Cleveland Guardians' season would look like without Josh Naylor. The offense has been one of the worst in baseball, outside of the month go June, which has been one of the main reasons the team may miss out on the playoffs in 2023.
Naylor has been the one bright spot in Cleveland's lineup and has carried the offense at times. He leads the Guardians in batting average, OPS, and RBI all while missing almost the entire month of August with an oblique injury. His breakout season at the plate has not only made him the best hitter on the Guardians but also one of the best in MLB.
Heading into Saturday night's action there were only three American League hitters with a .300-or-more batting average and 70-or-more RBI. Naylor joins MVP candidates Shohei Ohtani and Corey Seager on that list.
This exclusive club puts into perspective just how good Naylor's season has been and he's also in the process of doing something that hasn't been seen by a Cleveland hitter since 2014.
Naylor entered the third game of Cleveland's series with the Los Angeles Angels with a 305 batting average and 84 RBI in 101 games played. The last player to put up these numbers through the first 142 games of a season was Michael Brantley (.317, 89 RBI, 137 games).
Jun 6, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor (22) smiles after hitting an RBI double during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Brantley got the nickname "Dr. Smooth" because of how great of a contact hitter he was. He was with Cleveland for the first 10 seasons of his career and left for the Houston Astors after 2018.
Fans should have a lot to look forward to if Naylor is indeed following in Brantley's footsteps as becoming a fantastic contact hitter who can hit home runs and drive in roles
