Mariners’ Josh Naylor Officially Buries Slow-Start Panic with Grand Slam Against Orioles

This is the part of the baseball season where we have to admit that those April freakouts were real. Josh Naylor gave Mariners fans every reason to be nervous early. A freshly signed big contract mixed with a slow start can make any fan ask questions. He was hitting under the Mendoza Line before the Mariners’ April 25 game against the St. Louis Cardinals, and at that point, the conversation was getting louder.

And that’s why you don’t make sweeping declarations in April. Naylor has spent the last several weeks quietly turning that miserable start into background noise.

Quietly is the key word here. This hasn’t been a screaming takeover. It’s been as steady as it gets. Naylor has been stacking better at-bats and collecting hits while slowly dragging his season back toward something that looks a lot different than it did a month and a half ago.

It’s interesting how quiet production can get buried so fast on this roster. The Mariners have had plenty of other things stealing oxygen. Cal Raleigh hitting the injured list for the first time gave everyone something to worry about. J.P. Crawford has been himself in the headlines a lot this season. Colt Emerson is the shiny new fascination. Rob Refsnyder has the city coming after him. And Brendan Donovan’s injury situation has been its own exhausting side quest. With Seattle’s roster constantly changing shape, Naylor’s correction kind of happened in the corner of the room.

did somebody order a grand salami? pic.twitter.com/24vWvBWPTp
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) June 9, 2026

Josh Naylor’s Grand Slam Was Only Part of a Bigger Mariners Turnaround

Heading into the June 9 game, Naylor is now slashing .261/.323/.376 with 7 home runs, 30 RBI and 12 stolen bases through 62 games. Considering how deep the hole was in April, that’s a pretty strong reminder of what Naylor can do when he’s locked in.

To be fair, the power numbers still aren’t quite there. But let’s be honest about that, too. Progressive Field is a home run-friendly spot for left-handed batters, and some of Naylor’s power was always going to be suppressed in nearly two-thirds of other MLB parks. His game has never been only about selling out for home runs anyway. The contact has always been the foundation, and we’re beginning to see that play out for the Mariners, especially right now when they need it most.

Naylor is not the guy who was drowning in April anymore. He’s also historically not a slow starter. So it’s fair to chalk the start of this season up as an anomaly. Maybe the World Baseball Classic curse is real. Many players who participated came out a little funky this season. But regardless, he’s becoming one of the reasons Seattle’s lineup feels more dangerous than it did when the season began.

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