Player Outlook
Josh Naylor had a career season at the plate despite missing over a month with an oblique injury. The career year was fueled by a few things Naylor had never done, such as hitting .363 with runners in scoring position and hitting .299 against left-handed pitching. He also fully leaned into the roster trend of better contact as Naylor lowered his strikeout rate for a fourth consecutive full season. He also murdered fastballs hitting .352 (.317 xBA.) The amalgamation of those skills is what allowed him to drive in 90+ runs with fewer than 20 homers, something only Naylor, Abreu, Heim, and Bohm did in 2023 and something last done by Asdrubel Cabrera in 2019. In all, Naylor plated 22% of his baserunners, which was only bested by Heim, Mullins, and Seager last season. All of this is to say this big step forward needs to have that first 500+ plate appearance offseason to offset the regression which is likely coming to his run production.

Fantasy Stats

Year fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
r
Runs
hr
Home Runs
rbi
Runs Batted In
bb
Base on Balls (Walk)
sb
Stolen Bases
avg
Batting Average
2024 .000
2023 3893.2 52 17 97 33 10 .308
2022 3442.8 47 20 79 38 6 .256
3y Avg. 2922.8 42 15 66 28 6 .275
Projections Powered by
Fantasy Performance by Week
95%
Roster
89%
Start
#12
1B Rank

Fantasy News

  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Looks good early in spring

    Naylor has gone 5-for-13 over five Cactus League games. Naylor's five hits are all singles, and he's added three RBI so far. With Kyle Manzardo likely to start 2024 at Triple-A Columbus, Naylor's starting role between first base and designated hitter looks safe for now. Naylor broke out last year, batting .308 with an .843 OPS, 17 home runs, 97 RBI, 52 runs scored and 10 stolen bases over 121 contests. Depending on where Ramon Laureano ends up playing, there could be room for Naylor and Manzardo to coexist in the lineup at some point.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Avoids arbitration with Guardians

    Naylor signed a one-year, $6.6 million deal with the Guardians on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Naylor has improved across each of the last three seasons, and he posted an impressive .308/.354/.489 line across 495 plate appearances in 2023. He could sit occasionally against lefties, but he otherwise should be locked in as Cleveland's primary first baseman in 2024.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Reaches 10-steal mark

    Naylor went 0-for-1 with a walk, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Orioles. Naylor was hit by a pitch and provided a sacrifice fly. He's hitting .339 (21-for-62) over 17 games in September, a span that's also seen him accumulate four of his 10 steals this season. Overall, the first baseman is at a .310/.352/.500 slash line with 17 home runs, 94 RBI and 50 runs scored through 113 contests.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Collects four hits, drives in three

    Naylor went 4-for-5 with one double, three RBI and one run scored in Friday's victory over the Rangers. Naylor struck out in his first at-bat but was outstanding the rest of the night, and on the season he now has a .312 batting average with 91 RBI. Naylor is in the midst of a full-fledged breakout in his third big-league season as Friday marked the fourth time he has had four hits in a game and the 12th time he's recorded at least three RBI this season. He's just short of the number of at-bats necessary to qualify for the American League batting title, but currently ranks behind only Corey Seager and Yandy Diaz in that department.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Goes yard Monday

    Naylor went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and a double in Monday's 5-4 extra-inning loss to the Giants. Naylor has hit safely in his last five games, going 6-for-16 (.375) with two homers and seven RBI in that span. He gave the Guardians a short-lived 2-1 lead with his third-inning blast Monday. For the season, the first baseman has 17 homers, 87 RBI, 27 doubles, 43 runs scored, seven stolen bases and a .307/.349/.509 slash line over 104 contests. He's been one of Cleveland's top hitters throughout the year and should see a near-everyday role over the last three weeks of the campaign.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Not in Sunday's lineup

    Naylor is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels. Naylor started the previous three games but will receive Sunday off after going 3-for-10 with a home run, three walks, five RBI and a stolen base. David Fry will handle first base in the series finale versus the Halos.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Slugs 16th homer in loss

    Naylor went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Angels. Naylor's homer Saturday was his first extra-base hit in six contests since he returned from an oblique injury. He's still been productive with six RBI in that span while reclaiming a place in the heart of the Guardians' order. For the season, the first baseman is slashing .304/.347/.496 with 16 homers, 85 RBI, 42 runs scored and seven stolen bases over 102 games.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: On base three times Thursday

    Naylor went 1-for-3 with two walks, one RBI and one stolen base in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Angels. Naylor has gone 4-for-14 (.286) with two RBI and two walks over four games since he returned from an oblique injury. All four of his hits in that span have been singles, so it appears he still needs some time to get his power stroke in sync. The first baseman has a .305/.347/.492 slash line with 15 home runs, seven steals, 81 RBI and 41 runs scored through 100 contests this year. He should see the majority of the playing time at first base down the stretch.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Takes seat Wednesday

    Naylor is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Twins. Naylor was in the lineup for his first three games back from the injured list but will get some rest Wednesday in the day game after a night game. Kole Calhoun will occupy first base for the Guardians while Naylor sits.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Returns from IL, starting Sunday

    Naylor (oblique) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Sunday and is batting third as the designated hitter versus the Rays. Naylor has been sidelined for the past month with an oblique strain, but he's ready to rejoin the Guardians after a three-game rehab stint with Double-A Akron. The 26-year-old has a .306/.346/.500 slash line with 15 home runs, six steals, 79 RBI and 41 runs through 96 games this season, and he'll reclaim an everyday spot in Cleveland's lineup for the stretch.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Cleared for rehab assignment

    Naylor (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Double-A Akron, Joe Noga of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Sidelined since Aug. 1 with a right oblique strain, Naylor looks like he could be a candidate to return from the 10-day injured list as early as this weekend, provided he experiences no setbacks while on the minor-league assignment. Kole Calhoun has been serving as the Guardians' primary first baseman in recent weeks, but manager Terry Francona could find room in the lineup for both Calhoun and Naylor by deploying one of the two at designated hitter. Despite missing nearly a month of action, Naylor still leads Cleveland with 79 RBI on the season.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Taking part in activities

    Naylor (oblique) resumed fielding ground balls Aug. 10 and has begun incorporating other baseball activities into his rehab regimen, MLB.com reports. Naylor was placed on the 10-day injured list Aug. 4 with a right oblique strain and was given a loose recovery timeline of 3-to-6 weeks. He's closing in on the short end of that timeframe, but the Guardians haven't provided any clear indication that Naylor will be ready to return from the IL before the end of August. Until reports indicate that Naylor is taking full batting practice, running the bases and taking part in full defensive drills at first base, his return to the Cleveland lineup shouldn't be viewed as imminent.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Likely out 3-to-6 weeks

    Naylor, who was placed on the injured list earlier Friday, was diagnosed with a right oblique strain and is expected to miss 3-to-6 weeks, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. Naylor began experiencing tightness in his right side earlier this week, and an MRI taken Thursday revealed the strained oblique. David Fry could fill in as the Guardians' primary first baseman, with Gabriel Arias representing another option at the position.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Remains out Wednesday

    Naylor (side) remains out of the lineup Wednesday versus the Astros. Naylor was scratched from the Guardians' lineup Tuesday due to right side tightness. There's no clarity yet as to the severity of the issue. David Fry is covering first base Wednesday and Jose Ramirez will take a turn as Cleveland's designated hitter. Brayan Rocchio has been called up from Triple-A Columbus and will play third base.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Scratched with side tightness

    Naylor was scratched from Tuesday's lineup against Houston due to right side tightness, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. No details have been provided regarding the severity of Naylor's injury, but it is apparently enough to keep him out of Tuesday's contest. David Fry will enter as Cleveland's first baseman and bat fifth.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Bright spot in Friday's loss

    Naylor went 3-for-4 with a double in Friday's 3-0 loss to the White Sox. Naylor accounted for half of the Guardians' hits in the shutout loss. While the first baseman has gone nine games without a home run, he's smacked three doubles and gone 10-for-34 (.294) in that span. For the season, he's maintained a .309/.349/.510 slash line with 15 homers, 79 RBI, 41 runs scored, 25 doubles and six stolen bases over 378 plate appearances in a breakout campaign.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Doubles twice, drives in three

    Naylor went 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored in Thursday's win over the White Sox. Naylor extended the Guardians' lead to 3-0 with a two-run double in the third inning before driving in a third run with another two-bagger in the seventh. The 26-year-old is batting .355 (43-for-121) over his last 30 games with seven home runs and a 1.019 OPS. His slash line on the year is up to .304/.345/.504 with 15 homers, 79 RBI, 41 runs scored and six steals across 369 plate appearances.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Drills 13th homer

    Naylor went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, three RBI and two runs scored in Monday's victory over the Pirates. Naylor doubled home a run in the sixth inning before ripping a two-run shot in the seventh. His hot streak has turned into a terrific 2023 campaign; he's slashing .305/.350/.506 with 35 extra-base hits and 69 RBI through 337 plate appearances. Naylor is hitting .393 (24-for-61) with 12 extra-base hits over his last 15 games.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Homers in Friday's loss

    Naylor went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and two walks in Friday's 12-4 loss to the Rangers. This was the third time Naylor's drawn multiple walks in a game this season. He hasn't needed free passes too often lately -- he's hitting .397 (29-for-73) with four homers, seven doubles and 16 RBI over his last 18 contests. For the season, he's up to an impressive .306/.349/.492 slash line with 12 long balls, 66 RBI, 34 runs scored, 19 doubles and five stolen bases through 80 games.
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  • Guardians' Josh Naylor: Three-hit effort in win

    Naylor went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Saturday's 10-6 win over the Royals. Naylor has posted three straight multi-hit efforts since he returned from a minor wrist injury. He's added four RBI and two runs scored in that span. The 26-year-old is leading the Guardians with a .306 average, and he's added an .830 OPS with 11 home runs, 64 RBI, 33 runs scored, five stolen bases and 19 doubles over 78 contests.
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