Pressure is a privilege in the eyes of new Seattle Mariners slugger Josh Naylor.
Naylor, speaking before his first game with Seattle against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night, said he was looking forward to challenge of batting cleanup for the American League wild-card-contending Mariners.
“I love the word pressure,” said Naylor, a first baseman who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for two pitching prospects Thursday. “I think it’s a gift, a position God puts you in because he knows you can handle it.”
Naylor went 1-for-4 in his Seattle debut, but the Angels won 3-2 in 10 innings.
The 28-year-old Naylor likely won’t win a Gold Glove at first base. But he has always handled the bat.
Naylor, who bats left-handed, is a career .267 hitter with a .772 OPS in seven big league seasons. He joins the Mariners after hitting .292 with an .807 OPS, 11 homers, 19 doubles, 59 RBIs, 49 strikeouts and 37 walks in 93 games with the Diamondbacks this season.
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Naylor, who played in 19 postseason games with the Cleveland Guardians, is also a career .294 hitter with an .846 OPS with runners in scoring position. He entered Friday with a .298 average (28-for-94) and an .810 OPS in those situations this season.
That track record earned Naylor a prime position in Seattle’s lineup behind No. 3 hitter Cal Raleigh, the MLB leader with 39 homers and tied for second with 84 RBIs. Seattle’s No. 5 hitter is Randy Arozarena, who entered Friday with 19 homers and 51 RBIs.
“I think he’s a good fit [in the cleanup spot] because of the way he swings the bat,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “He’s a guy who is going to have a great approach in those RBI situations.
“He’s been through a lot. I’ve seen some [of his] postseasons, so he’s a guy who brings a lot of valuable experience to the group, and that will do nothing but enhance what has already been a very special season with this group.”
Naylor should be a considerable offensive upgrade at first base over Donovan Solano, who is hitting .243 with a .626 OPS, 3 homers and 20 RBIs in 64 games, and Luke Raley, who is batting .220 with a .691 OPS, 4 homers and 18 RBIs in 49 games.
Utility man Miles Mastrobuoni was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to clear a 26-man roster spot for Naylor.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about this organization, about this team, about how hard they play,” Naylor said of the Mariners, who fell to 55-49 with Friday’s loss. “They’re a tough group. Obviously, the pitching speaks for itself, they’re phenomenal on that end. The offense is great too.
“Raleigh’s having such an incredible year. It’s super cool to watch from the outside. Julio [Rodriguez] is such a leader, a phenomenal player and athlete; he’s a game changer. I’m really excited to be here and be a part of it and to see how I can contribute.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
