Josh Naylor Is Flying Under The Radar During Spring Training

Josh Naylor is putting up solid number during Spring Training with the Cleveland Guardians.

There hasn't been a ton of chatter about Josh Naylor during Spring Training. Most of that attention has gone to his younger brother Bo Naylor and the Silver Slugger the Cleveland Guardians signed over the winter in Josh Bell.

But with all of that attention off Naylor, he's actually been one of the best hitters that Guardians have had during their Cactus League play. 

Naylor finished last season with a .256 batting average and a .771 OPS. He was the only true power hitter in the Cleveland lineup and hit 20 home runs and had 79 RBI. It was arguably his best MLB season but the only glaring hole in his game was his hitting against left-handed hitters. 

Though 13 games and 35 plate appearances so far in Spring Training, Naylor is batting .286 with a very respectable .788 OPS. He has a couple of doubles and has driven in seven runners as well. His only home run of the Spring was a grand slam that came against the Chicago White Sox. Sound familiar to anyone?

Naylor will split time on in the field at first base with Josh Bell in a platoon role. But that doesn't mean we'll never see the two in the same lineup. One of them will most likely be the designated hitter when the other is at first.

A middle-of-the-lineup of Jose Ramirez, Bell, and Naylor could be a power-hitting nightmare for opposing pitchers.

Naylor could be looking at a massive season with who will be hitting around him and having the opportunity to focus on hitting more now that Bell is in town. Josh is also one of the Guardians that could benefit greatly from the elimination of the shift. 

As a lefty, Naylor pulled the ball to the right side of the field quite often over the last couple of years and had many hits taken away. That will no longer be the case and his average could increase as a result.

Naylor is in a great position to be a huge offensive season and his Spring Training stats are a prime example of this. 

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Cover Photo Credit: © Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports