Mariners' Josh Naylor Struggling to Lift the Ball Early in Season

The first baseman is hitting .000 through the first three games, but the underlying numbers suggest his timing is just off.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 1:18pm

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Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor has yet to record a hit through the first three games of the 2026 MLB season, going 0-for-11 with a pair of walks. While he's only struck out twice, the underlying numbers show Naylor is hitting the ball on the ground too much, with an alarming launch angle of negative-14.7 degrees compared to his career average of 10.3 degrees.

Why it matters

Naylor's early-season struggles are not necessarily a long-term concern, but they do highlight the importance of maintaining proper launch angle and avoiding too many ground balls, which can limit a hitter's production. The Mariners will need Naylor to find his swing soon if they want to compete in the AL West.

The details

Of Naylor's nine batted balls so far this season, eight have been on the ground, with just one classified as a line drive. He has also pulled six of those nine batted balls. Naylor's career groundball rate is 47.4% and his pull rate is 42.0%, suggesting his current approach is an outlier and not sustainable over a full season.

  • Through the first three games of the 2026 MLB season (March 26-28)

The players

Josh Naylor

A first baseman for the Seattle Mariners who is off to a slow start at the plate, going hitless in his first 11 at-bats.

Seattle Mariners

The MLB team that Josh Naylor plays for, who will need him to find his swing soon if they want to compete in the AL West division.

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What’s next

Naylor and the Mariners coaching staff will look to make adjustments to his swing and approach at the plate in order to start lifting the ball and generating more extra-base hits.

The takeaway

While Naylor's early-season struggles are concerning, it's still a very small sample size. If he can make the necessary adjustments to elevate the ball more, he should be able to turn things around and provide the Mariners with the offensive production they need from the first base position.