RADIO
Josh Naylor's Speed Can't Hide his Power Drop
Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor has reached base in 14 straight games, and he is still running whenever the opening is there. The power, though, has barely shown up. Naylor is batting .261 with 21 steals, but he has only eight home runs and 13 doubles through 413 plate appearances. July has been even stranger: 17 hits, just two for extra bases, both doubles. His contact remains excellent, with a 12.1% strikeout rate and 18.5% whiff rate. That keeps the average playable. The contact quality is another story. Naylor's 4.6% barrel rate and 36.1% hard-hit rate are both down from last season, and even his .395 xSLG points more toward modest improvement than a real power rebound. He can still help in fantasy leagues. Just don't treat the steals as proof that the full package is coming back.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
