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Naylor takes responsibility for rough results during season plagued by injuries

Seattle Mariners first baseman **Josh Naylor** addressed his underwhelming 2026 season in a post-surgery interview, taking full responsibility for the team’s missed expectations despite battling persistent injuries. The 2025 Trade Deadline acquisition struggled mightily with production, slashing his power output to a career-low 10 home runs—including just two after June 12—and finishing with a .350 slugging percentage, the eighth-largest drop among qualified hitters.

His 57 RBIs were nearly half his 2024 All-Star total of 108, while his 0.6 WAR ranked 23rd among first basemen, down sharply from 3.2 the prior year. Naylor also revealed he underwent TFCC repair surgery on his right wrist in late August, a procedure he had played through since at least June despite visible discomfort, including wincing and shaking out his arm after swings.

His clutch performance plummeted, with an OPS of .616 in scoring situations compared to .828 over his first seven seasons, though he did manage 30 stolen bases—a rare feat for a first baseman since George Sisler’s era. Despite playing in 152 games without an IL stint, Naylor acknowledged his limitations, stating he ‘didn’t do enough’ and ‘will take full blame’ for the Mariners’ shortcomings, framing his pain as a personal challenge rather than an excuse.

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