ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Pressure is a privilege in the eyes of new Seattle Mariners slugger Josh Naylor.
Naylor is looking forward to the opportunity to bat cleanup in his first game with Seattle against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
“I love the word pressure,” said Naylor, a first baseman who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for two pitching prospects on Thursday. “I think it’s a gift, a position God puts you in because he knows you can handle it.”
The left-handed hitting Naylor likely won’t win a Gold Glove at first base. But, he has always been able to handle the bat.
The 28-year-old Naylor is a career .267 hitter with a .773 OPS in seven big-league seasons. He joins the Mariners after hitting .292 with an .807 OPS, 11 homers, 19 doubles, 59 RBIs, 49 strikeouts and 37 walks in 93 games with the D-Backs this season.
Naylor, who played in 19 playoff games with the Cleveland Guardians, is also a career .294 hitter with an .846 OPS with runners in scoring position. He entered Friday with a .298 average (28 for 94) and .810 OPS in those situations this season.
That track record earned Naylor a prime position in Seattle’s lineup behind No. 3 hitter Cal Raleigh, who entered Friday as the MLB leader with 39 homers and tied for second 84 RBIs. Seattle’s No. 5 hitter is Randy Arozarena, who entered Friday with 19 homers and 51 RBIs.
“I think he’s a good fit (in the cleanup spot) because of the way he swings the bat,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “He’s a guy who is going to have a great approach in those RBI situations.
“He’s been through a lot. I’ve seen some (of his) postseasons, so he’s a guy who brings a lot of valuable experience to the group, and that will do nothing but enhance what has already been a very special season with this group.”
Naylor should be a considerable offensive upgrade at first base over Donovan Solano, who is hitting .243 with a .626 OPS, three homers and 20 RBIs in 64 games, and Luke Raley, who is batting .220 with a .691 OPS, four homers and 18 RBIs in 49 games.
Utility man Miles Mastrobuoni was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to clear a 26-man roster spot for Naylor.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about this organization, about this team, about how hard they play,” Naylor said of the American League wild-card-contending Mariners, who entered Friday with a 55-48 record. “They’re a tough group. Obviously, the pitching speaks for itself, they’re phenomenal on that end. The offense is great, too.
“Raleigh’s having such an incredible year. It’s super cool to watch from the outside. Julio (Rodriguez) is such a leader, a phenomenal player and athlete — he’s a game changer. I’m really excited to be here and be a part of it and to see how I can contribute.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Mike Digiovanna, The Associated Press
