You’ve probably seen the fire in his eyes after a clutch hit. Or maybe you've watched him head-butt a manager while wearing a helmet. Josh Naylor isn't exactly a "quiet" baseball player. He plays with an intensity that feels more like a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals than a random Tuesday night in July.
So, where is Josh Naylor from?
The short answer is Mississauga, Ontario. But honestly, just saying "Canada" doesn't really cover the whole story of how a kid from the suburbs of Toronto ended up becoming one of the most feared left-handed hitters in Major League Baseball.
The Mississauga Roots
Born on June 22, 1997, Josh Naylor is a product of Mississauga, a massive suburb sitting just west of Toronto. If you know anything about Southern Ontario, you know it’s hockey country. Most kids there grow up dreaming of the NHL, and Josh was no different. He played hockey, sure, but baseball was his first love.
He grew up in a house where the game was everything. His dad, Chris, was a massive fan, though interestingly enough, he was a Red Sox fan. Josh spent his childhood watching David Ortiz and trying to mimic that same big-game energy. You can still see "Big Papi" in the way Josh carries himself at the plate today.
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He attended St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School. While most of his peers were focusing on the ice, Josh was busy becoming a legend in the Canadian amateur scene. He joined the Ontario Blue Jays, an elite travel program, when he was only 12. Most of the other guys on that team were 16 or 17.
Basically, he spent his entire childhood playing against grown men.
Playing for Team Canada
Naylor's path wasn't the typical American high school-to-college pipeline. Because he was in Canada, he had to work twice as hard to get noticed by scouts.
He became a staple for the Canadian Junior National Team. At just 15, he was over in South Korea winning a silver medal at the 18U Baseball World Cup. He eventually became the first and only Canadian to play in three different editions of that tournament.
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That Famous Home Run Derby
One of the turning points for Josh happened in 2014. He was invited to the MLB Junior Select Home Run Derby at Target Field in Minneapolis.
He wasn't just there to participate; he almost won the whole thing. He finished second, but more importantly, he was out-slugging actual MLB All-Stars like Yasiel Puig and Justin Morneau during the warm-ups. People started realized that the "Mississauga Masher" was the real deal.
Family Ties in the Big Leagues
You can't talk about where Josh is from without mentioning the Naylor dynasty. This isn't just one lucky kid; it’s a family business.
- Bo Naylor: His younger brother and a star catcher. They actually played together in Cleveland for several seasons, making history as the first brothers to hit multi-run homers for the same team in the same inning.
- Myles Naylor: The youngest of the three, currently working his way through the Oakland Athletics system.
- Denzel Clarke: Their cousin, who is also a high-level prospect.
Recent Career Moves
If you haven't checked the box scores lately, things have changed. After a massive stint with the Cleveland Guardians, where he earned an All-Star nod in 2024 and put up 31 homers, Josh moved on. He had a brief cup of coffee with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being traded to the Seattle Mariners in July 2025.
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He absolutely caught fire in Seattle. He helped lead the Mariners to the 2025 American League West title, hitting .364 in September.
The fans in Seattle loved him so much that the team locked him down. In late 2025, he signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract to stay in the Pacific Northwest. He even won his second Tip O'Neill Award that year, which is given to the best Canadian ballplayer.
Why It Matters
Josh Naylor represents a shift in how we look at Canadian baseball. He isn't just a "contact hitter" or a "utility guy." He’s a middle-of-the-order power threat who wears his heart on his sleeve. He literally wears a Canadian flag on his belt every time he takes the field.
He’s married to Chantel Collado, a professional singer from Toronto, and they’ve been together since high school. Even with the millions of dollars and the fame, he’s still very much tied to his Ontario roots.
What to Watch for Next
If you're following Josh Naylor's career, keep an eye on his production in Seattle. He’s entering his prime years right now.
- Watch the matchups: Naylor is notoriously better against right-handed pitching, but his 2025 season showed he's becoming much more disciplined against lefties.
- Postseason history: He’s one of the few Canadians to ever homer in the postseason while playing in Canada as a visitor.
- The stolen base evolution: In 2025, he surprisingly swiped 30 bases, becoming only the second Canadian after Larry Walker to have a 20-homer, 30-steal season.
Keep track of his stats through the official MLB portal or Baseball-Reference to see if he can maintain that 20/30 pace through 2026.