Fastball

Cleveland Guardians Slugger Continues to Re-Write History Books For Canadian Players

Josh Naylor has been a force in the middle of the order for the Cleveland Guardians this season.

Brady Farkas

Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Josh Naylor (22) hits a double during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Progressive Field on Aug 31.
Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Josh Naylor (22) hits a double during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Progressive Field on Aug 31. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
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The Cleveland Guardians earned a huge victory on Monday afternoon, toppling the Kansas City Royals by a score of 4-2 at Kauffman Stadium. With the win, the Guardians are now 79-59 on the season. They lead the Minnesota Twins by 3.5 games in the American League Central race and lead the Royals by 4.5 games.

They are in contention for the No. 1 seed in the looming American League playoffs as well.

In the victory, the Guardians got a 2-for-4 performance from slugger Josh Naylor. He hit a home run, which gives him 29 for the season. He also brought in two runs, giving him an even 100.

By hitting the 100-RBI mark, Naylor has continued to re-write the history books for Canadian-born players.

Per @StatsCentre:

Fewest Gms to 100 RBI - Season by a Canadian player in MLB modern era:
106- Larry Walker (1999)
108- Justin Morneau (2006)
110- Walker ('01)
117- Jeff Heath ('38)
118- Walker ('97)
125- George Selkirk ('39)
129- Heath ('41)
130- @CLEGuardians Josh Naylor (2024)
130- Morneau ('08)

While the American League MVP Award figures to be decided between Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) and Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals), Naylor and teammate Jose Ramirez shoud both factor into the voting.

In addition to the home run and RBI totals, Naylor is hitting .245 with six stolen bases. The 27-year-old is in the sixth year of his career with the San Diego Padres and Guardians.

The two teams will play again on Tuesday night with first pitch coming at 7:40 p.m. ET. Tanner Bibee (CLE) gets the ball against Brady Singer (KC).

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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