Don’t look now but the Cleveland Guardians are mere percentage points behind the red hot Atlanta Braves for the best record in baseball.
While the Braves have been the class of the National League East for most of the decade and are meeting expectations, the Cleveland Guardians have ascended to the top of the American League Central and are one game in the loss column in front of the New York Yankees for the overall lead in the American League.
But the question is… How does a Guardians team who has one of the lowest payrolls in the sport keep pace with a team like the Yankees, who easily spends much more? MLBbro.com would like to introduce the newest budding superstar, first baseman Josh Naylor.
It didn’t take long to jump into the spotlight, in fact he brought his brother Bo along when they hit home runs in the same inning a couple of weeks back.
Josh Naylor’s Bat Is Sick
Coming into this week, the 26 year-old Naylor is playing at an All-Star level while featuring a batting compilation of stats that has been better than stars like MLBbro Mookie Betts, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Shohei Ohtani.
Just look at the resume…
- Naylor has a hitting slash of .306/.371/.576/.948 as of this writing.
- His .1.017 OPS and 197 OPS-plus leads the league according to Baseball Reference as of April 23rd.
- In 2023, our MLBbro hit only 17 home runs all season. In 2024, Naylor already has a third of last year’s total with six.
- MLB Network discussed the fact that Josh Naylor since May 15th, 2023 leads the majors with a .340 average.
Take a listen…
With a .340 AVG, Josh Naylor is leading all of baseball since May 15, 2023 (min. 400 PA) 🤯@markdero7 and @TheMayorsOffice step into the Skybox to take a look at the @CleGuardians slugger's continued success. #MLBCentral pic.twitter.com/GfGlRJuzj8
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 23, 2024
Josh Naylor Reaching His Potential
After starting his career struggling against left handed pitching, our MLBbro has made adjustments in his approach at the plate which has brought him to superstar status and one of the best pure hitters in the game.
“Being selectively aggressive is key,” Naylor told the press. “Sometimes the first pitch you get is one of the better pitches you are going to see all day. You kind of trust in your ability that you can hit it. And you’re kind of confident enough in your swing, your body positioning, your balance, that you can get to this pitch… Maybe take your shot.”
Josh Naylor Makes Fan’s Wish Come True
Teammate Jose Ramirez will still command headlines, but he’s going to start sharing the spotlight especially after Naylor made a special Guardians fan’s dream come true.
No, the MLBbro.com staff is not crying… just allergies. Press play…
We're not crying, it's just the cold. 🥹❤️
Josh Naylor surprised a long-time Guardians fan, Carolyn, with flowers and a visit at today's pregame batting practice. Carolyn is currently in hospice care and was able to attend today’s game to watch her favorite team and favorite… pic.twitter.com/OGpyQUhkzp
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 24, 2024
Carolyn Steffens is in hospice care and is a Cleveland fan and probably now Josh Naylor’s biggest fan. Her daughter, Lora, reached out to the team to hopefully surprise her mother with the chance to meet her favorite player in potentially her last chance to see the team live at Progressive Field.
While everyone allowed Carolyn to believe that she would watch batting practice on the field, the MLBbro via Canada shocked her with flowers and a bat and in an even more gentleman-like move, brought out his starter jacket to cover her on one of the coldest days in years.
After spending some time with Carolyn and the family, Naylor posed for a photo for everyone to remember. Something that reminds us all that the MLBbro influence goes a lot farther than baseball.
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