Naylor Hits Two Home Runs to Lead Mariners to Sweep
- Josh Naylor ended a season-opening slump on April 13, 2026, hitting two home runs to lead the Seattle Mariners toward a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros.
- Naylor provided the bulk of the early offense during the Monday afternoon contest at T-Mobile Park, connecting for two home runs in his first two at-bats.
- The performance marked a significant turnaround for the lefty-hitting first baseman, who had struggled through the first 15 games of the season.
Josh Naylor ended a season-opening slump on April 13, 2026, hitting two home runs to lead the Seattle Mariners toward a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros.
Naylor provided the bulk of the early offense during the Monday afternoon contest at T-Mobile Park, connecting for two home runs in his first two at-bats. He began the scoring in the first inning with a three-run blast and followed it with a two-run shot in the third inning, establishing a 5-0 lead for Seattle.
Breaking the Cold Spell
The performance marked a significant turnaround for the lefty-hitting first baseman, who had struggled through the first 15 games of the season. Before April 13, 2026, Naylor was batting .102 and had failed to record any extra-base hits.
Despite the low batting average, Baseball Savant data indicated some misfortune in his results, noting an expected batting average of .222 during that period.
Naylor found his rhythm against Astros right-hander Mike Burrows. In the first inning, he hit a middle-middle 0-1 fastball over the right-center-field fence. In the third inning, he launched a first-pitch fastball over the center-field wall, recording a 433-foot home run with an exit velocity of 111.5 mph.
Career Milestones and Team Context
The outing represented the sixth multi-homer game of Naylor’s career and his first since joining the Mariners. The Seattle franchise acquired Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks via a trade-deadline deal during the previous summer.
During his initial 54 games with Seattle, Naylor established himself as a key part of the lineup, slashing .299/.341/.490 with 10 doubles and nine home runs. His contributions helped the Mariners achieve the deepest postseason run in the history of the franchise.
Following the conclusion of that season, the Mariners secured Naylor’s long-term future by signing him to a five-year contract worth $92 million.
Naylor’s breakout performance on April 13, 2026, served as a catalyst for the Mariners as they completed the sweep of their American League West rivals.