Josh Naylor
- Seattle’s roster as it stands starts at 1B · 574 PA · 1.4 WAR in the role
- Trade read Unlikely to be traded: Signed in Nov 2025 (5 yr, $92.5M (2026-30)): clubs rarely move a player they just committed to.
Hitting · 2026 percentiles
vs. MLB hitters with 300+ PA · 648 PA
Platoon splits · swing path
By pitcher handedness
| vs | PA | wOBA | xwOBA | K% | BB% | Chase | Decisions | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LHP | 224 | .313 | .304 | 14% | 4% | 35% | −1.15 | +1.07 |
| RHP | 424 | .304 | .317 | 11% | 8% | 39% | −1.01 | +0.55 |
- Attack angle
- 7.2° (45% in 5–20°)
- Attack direction
- −6.5°
- Swing length
- 7.5 ft
- Fast-swing rate
- 8%
- Pull-air %
- 17.2%
- Hard-hit %
- 35.7%
- Slash · wRC+
- .261/.317/.350 · 95
Zone map · 2026
Where he does damage, and where to pitch him
Does the most damage down and away (+2.1 vs. league per 100; 1.0 standard errors on 92 pitches, inside the noise for the best of nine cells).
Weakest up and away (−3.7), but only 1.7 standard errors from average on 87 pitches: no in-zone spot to attack yet.
Runs per 100 pitches vs. an average LHB: better · worse. Catcher’s view · 1,972 pitches · faded cells are within one standard error of average. A spot is called only when it is farther from average than the best or worst of nine average cells gets 95% of the time (set from the league’s own pitches: about 3 standard errors above, 2 below).
Most similar hitters
Swings like Naylor: bat path, contact quality and approach
| Similarity | Player | xwOBA | ’26 WAR | ’27 proj | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | Ildemaro Vargas AZ · ’91 | .298 | 0.4 | −0.2 | Free agent |
| 68 | Javier Sanoja MIA · ’02 | .299 | 2.8 | 2.2 | Pre-arb |
| 65 | Miguel Rojas LAD · ’89 | .317 | 0.7 | 0.6 | Free agent |
| 59 | Matt Vierling DET · ’96 | .304 | −0.4 | 0.3 | Arb |
| 56 | Mauricio Dubón ATL · ’94 | .308 | 2.4 | 1.6 | Free agent |
Mauricio Dubón (similarity 56, 1.6 WAR projected for 2027) is a free agent this winter: a similar swing available without trading talent, at a free agent’s price. Opportunity Finder →
Nearest neighbours on bat speed, swing length, attack angle, squared-up and blast rates, EV90, barrels, pull-air, chase, zone contact, K% and BB%. 2026 regulars only.
Fielding
2027 rating at every position he can play · OAA by position · range by direction · tools. Same engine as the Fielding Lab and the Winter Plan.
| Season | Pos | OAA | Range | Arm, DP | Runs | Batters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1B | +1 | 0 | +0.8 | +0.8 | 5,666 |
| 2025 | 1B | +3 | +2 | +1.3 | +3.3 | 4,552 |
| 2024 | 1B | +1 | +1 | +0.9 | +1.9 | 4,973 |
| 2023 | RF | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1B | +5 | +4 | +0.3 | +4.3 | 3,246 |
Runs = range plus his arm and double-play runs spread over his positions by outs (Fielding Run Value, from 2023): what the rating counts.
At 1B in 2026, the biggest loss came back (−3 outs): a coaching target.
Tools (percentile; arm among 1Bs)| Season | Zone | Balls | Outs vs. exp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1B | 361 | +3.2 |
| 2025 | 1B | 273 | +1.8 |
| 2024 | 1B | 274 | +3.0 |
The zone rating counts every ball hit to his part of the field while he played there, his club’s positioning included; Savant OAA uses his actual starting spot and is the better individual grade. They agree best in the outfield. See the model card.
Contract & projection
Club control (RosterResource) · Keystone projected WAR
ABS challenges · 2026
Baseball Savant