Mississauga’s Josh Naylor named Cleveland Guardians’ weekly star

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Published May 16, 2022 at 5:06 pm

Mississauga's Josh Naylor named Cleveland Guardians' weekly star

Mississauga native and now record-setting Major League Baseball (MLB) player Josh Naylor may not have earned MLB American League Player of the Week honours for his tremendous late-inning swings last week, but he was recognized a bit closer to home.

The 24-year-old Cleveland Guardians’ slugger has been named the Guardians’ Standout Player of the Week for his performance at the plate.

Naylor, a first baseman/outfielder, played in only two games due to being placed on MLB’s COVID-19 list the middle of last week, but he made the most of them.

On May 9, the St. Joan of Arc Secondary School graduate hit a game-tying grand slam and then a game-winning three-run homer — both with two out — during the Guardians’ 12-9 extra-innings comeback win against the Chicago White Sox.

The two home runs, combined with an earlier run-scoring double, made Naylor the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to have eight RBI from the eighth inning onward in a game.

He was also the first player to have an eight-RBI game without driving in a run during the first seven innings.

The following night, the 5-foot-11, 250-pound left-handed slugger blasted another homerun, a solo shot, as part of a two-hit game, also against the White Sox.

Naylor only played in the two contests, but he “…was easily the Guardian’s Standout Player of the Week,” according to the Cleveland Baseball Insider/FanNation website.

“What he did at the plate in the two games against the Chicago White Sox was a week’s worth of production.”

American League top player honours last week went to L.A. Angels’ rookie pitcher Reid Detmers, who tossed a no-hitter on May 10.

Three years ago this month, Naylor got his first MLB hit in Toronto. As a rookie in his second game with the San Diego Padres on May 25, 2019, he opened his account with an RBI double to deep centre field during a game against the Blue Jays. He ended up collecting three hits that day during a 19-4 Padres win.

That remains Naylor’s only career series in Toronto in front of hometown family and friends.

This year, Cleveland is slated to be in Toronto for an Aug. 12-14 weekend series against the Jays.

–with files from Nathan Sager

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