Diamondbacks’ Josh Naylor looking to fill leadership role, dominate at the plate

SCOTTSDALE — Josh Naylor is pretty clear about what he wants his first season with the Arizona Diamondbacks to look like.

The Diamondbacks quickly pivoted to trading for Naylor after longtime first baseman Christian Walker signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Houston Astros, and Naylor is focused on how he can best fill that void on and off the field.

“He’s a phenomenal player. I knew he was a phenomenal leader, too,” Naylor said on Walker on Monday. “I would love to fill that role and step in those shoes and become that leader that he was in the locker room. Maybe a voice people, players, someone could come to in confidence and talk to if things were going rough or just (be) a good friend.

“I’m not going to change the player I am. I’m just going to be myself and grow the most I can here.”

The D-backs traded pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance B pick to Cleveland for Naylor, who will become a free agent next winter.

Despite his first All-Star campaign in 2024 — plus setting career highs with 31 home runs and 108 RBIs — Naylor was not stunned to receive the news of his trade. He’s been through it before, twice, and hearing one’s name in trade rumors can eliminate the element of surprise.

“You got to move on and just grow where you’re meant to grow,” Naylor said.

Josh Naylor putting offense together

What that means for Naylor at the plate is figuring out the best way to combine his past two seasons into becoming a complete hitter.

In 2023, Naylor hit a career-best .308 with an .842 OPS and outstanding 13.7% strikeout rate (22.2% is league average).

He only hit 17 home runs, however, and went into 2024 with a different approach to blast more of them. That came to fruition, although he sacrificed elements of his game to do so. He only hit .243 with an OPS of .776. His strikeouts went up to a still very good 16.6%, although his walks also climbed from 6.7% to 9.2%.

Naylor explained making changes in pitch selection, letting go a pitch the slugger felt he could poke the other way while looking for a pitch to drive. That at least partially explains the uptick in both strikeouts and walks, as he saw more two-strike and three-ball counts.

“This year, my goal is to put both together,” Naylor said. “I want to be a complete hitter and have the .300 average, have the 30-plus homers, 100-plus RBIs. That’s my goal. I’m just going to continue to work to that.”

Naylor repeated the word growth several times during his first media scrum at Salt River Fields. When asked what his approach to a walk year is, he was dismissive in saying, “Play baseball. Play hard every day. … You play hard, good things will happen.”

Naylor’s first Diamondbacks impressions

The 27-year-old reached the ALCS with the Guardians last year, falling short of a World Series with a taste of postseason success. He joins a Diamondbacks club that missed the playoffs by a tiebreaker after losing in the World Series in 2023, and both parties have a hunger to get over that final hill.

“Extreme talent level here,” Naylor said of his Diamondbacks impressions. “Looking forward to just learning everyone and learning how they play, fit into their game style, observe. I’m very big observer and try to take little things from people’s approaches, the way people swing, the way people play defense and just kind of add it to my game. See if it fits, see if it doesn’t and then go from there.”

He took grounders on the back fields with shortstops Geraldo Perdomo and Jordan Lawlar on Monday, getting in work with new teammates before full squads officially report to spring training next Monday (Feb. 17). Pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Arizona Sports (@arizsports)

Related

Diamondbacks roster projection: Spring training beginsPitching is what's left on Diamondbacks offseason to-do listDiamondbacks take a chance on former Orioles slugger Trey ManciniRandal Grichuk returns to Diamondbacks on 1-year dealDoctor calls A’s rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer ‘a tough kid’ after surgery for ruptured testicleDiamondbacks’ Odyssey: Club starts 4-city road trip that could determine trade deadline