Outfielder Josh Naylor a Surprising Bright Spot Thus Far for the 2021 Indians

The Indians have been beat up by injuries as well as inconsistent play thus far in the 2021 campaign. There's a number of players who have stepped up with the injuries on the roster, but one player who has shined this year is youngster Josh Naylor. The ex-Padre has been a great surprise to the Indians, earning playing time and showing power with six homers.

A pleasant surprise for the Cleveland Indians this season has been 24-year-old left fielder Josh Naylor. Currently sporting a .254 batting average, with 58 hits, six of those being home runs and 20 runs batted in.

The left hander has an OPS of .691 and a slugging percentage of .390. He played his first two seasons as a member of the San Diego Padres after getting selected 12th overall in 2015 by said club.

Naylor originally became a member of the Indians in the P Mike Clevinger deal back in 2020.

Certainly, these numbers have been a pleasant surprise for the Indians this season. Naylor’s contribution is part of the reason why the club has a 41-31 record, 10 games above the .500 mark.

If the 6’1, 225lb Naylor is able to continue this production for the rest of the year, it could help the Indians in an attempt to make a run to the playoffs.

The club is currently two games behind the White Sox for first place in the AL Central Division standings. Additionally, the team is only 1.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox for the second American League Wild Card Spot.

Indians manager Terry Francona has been able to keep this team in the playoff race despite losing various players due to injuries and such.

Moreover, it’s getting the best out of the aforementioned players such as Josh Naylor and others on the club that have allowed for the utmost success throughout the season.

What remains to be seen is if Naylor will be able to continue this production through the summer months and into the fall. It will be a major key to the success of the ball club as a whole.