My Mariners star began his journey at just 12 years old with the Ontario Blue Jays. Now, he’s competing in the ALCS against his hometown team. Get the latest updates from Steve Simmons delivered straight to your inbox. Published on Oct 14, 2025, this article is a 4-minute read. Join the conversation as we highlight Josh Naylor of the Seattle Mariners, who celebrated a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during Game 2 of the ALCS.
The tryout took place at Bishop Strachan Park in Thornhill back in 2009, when a young boy, seemingly too small for the field, arrived with his father.
At just 12 years old, he was the youngest player at the practice, where most participants were 16 or older.
“He was the youngest player we ever had,” recalled Danny Bleiwas, the head coach of the Ontario Blue Jays at the time. “We weren’t quite sure what to do with him, so we thought, why not let him hit and see what he can do. He stepped up to face an 18-year-old pitcher throwing around 75 miles per hour. It felt a bit surreal. But as we watched, we were all astonished.
This little 12-year-old was hitting the ball like we had never seen before. Every swing was impressive, and we couldn’t believe our eyes. As coaches, we thought he was the best young hitter we had ever encountered. When you find a talent like that, it’s exciting, and you want to coach him, but more importantly, you don’t want to hinder his development. I remember thinking that his talent was so immense that the best thing we could do was to stay out of his way.”
That 12-year-old was Josh Naylor, who is now a 28-year-old first baseman for the Seattle Mariners. He recently hit a home run and recorded two additional hits on Monday night at Rogers Centre, all while navigating the early days of fatherhood.
There’s a lot on his plate: playoffs in his hometown, a shot at the World Series, former Cleveland teammates now playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, and the excitement of welcoming a new baby. The Mariners currently lead the American League Championship Series 2-0 after two away games, and for Naylor, every game in this series feels like a home game.
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