Cleveland Guardians' first baseman Josh Naylor is making waves in Seattle, backing up his bold claim that T-Mobile Park is secretly a hitter's paradise. Just weeks ago, Naylor's comments sparked debate among Seattle Mariners fans, considering the park's reputation for suppressing offense.
Statcast data supports the stadium's pitcher-friendly image, ranking T-Mobile Park last in park factor with a score of 91 – 9% below the league average. However, Naylor's performance since joining the Mariners in a July trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks tells a different story.
Naylor has been on a tear at T-Mobile Park, extending his hitting streak to 11 games on Wednesday night and recording hits in 16 of 18 games since the trade. According to Mariners' baseball communications manager Alex Mayer, among 443 players with at least 50 plate appearances in a single stadium this season, Naylor's .724 slugging percentage and 1.162 OPS at T-Mobile Park were the league's best heading into Wednesday's game. His batting average also stood at an impressive .379.
So, what's the secret? Naylor himself points to the energetic Seattle fanbase. "The fans get so excited. They get pumped up in big moments. It’s kind of unexplainable," Naylor said after a recent win. "It’s super cool to be a part of. Sometimes you kind of feel the ground shaking (because) it’s so loud. Sometimes you can’t hear your own thoughts because it’s so loud. And that’s what you want, that?"
Is Naylor's success a fluke, or has he unlocked something special about T-Mobile Park? Only time will tell, but for now, he's proving that even the toughest ballparks can be conquered.