New Seattle Mariners Trade Acquisition Among an Elite Group of Hitters
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The Seattle Mariners knocked down the first domino of the MLB trade deadline season when they acquired first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.
Naylor made a solid first impression for the Mariners and went 3-for-11 with a run and three steals through the last three games of the four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.
Entering Monday, Naylor has scored 50 runs in 96 games and has hit 19 doubles, a triple and 11 home runs with 59 RBIs. He's slashed .292/.359/.442 with an .801 OPS.
JOSH NAYLOR WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM IN THE 11THpic.twitter.com/p4MdcUlW06
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) June 10, 2025
Naylor is a consistent bat that doesn't strike out and draws walks. Couple that with his slugging, and his OPS has placed him among the best hitters in baseball since 2023.
According to pregame notes shared by Mariners PR, Naylor is one of 12 left-handed hitters with an OPS of .800 or better since 2023 with a minimum of 1,500 plate appearances.
Other hitters included in that group are Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, Rafael Devers, Kyle Schwarber, Gunnar Henderson, Corbin Carroll, Cody Bellinger and Jarren Duran.
The pregame notes shared by Seattle included a quote from MLB Network's Mark DeRosa, which praised the Mariners for the move:
“Josh Naylor has been one of the more underrated hitters in the game. Presence in the dugout, professional at bats, bullets in the gap, he is dangerous. I love the move. (The Mariners) have a legitimate shot. They have the weaponry to make a deep run.”
Naylor and Seattle will begin the first of a three-game series against the Athletics at 7:05 p.m. PT on Monday at Sutter Health Park.
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