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Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor of Mississauga, Ontario, won the 2025 Tip O’Neill Award, presented annually by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame to the top Canadian player in Major League Baseball.
Naylor led all Canadians in batting average (.295), runs batted in (92) and stolen bases (30) while splitting the season between Arizona and Seattle. He also ranked second among Canadian major leaguers in hits (160), runs (81), home runs (20), doubles (29) and walks (48).
“Being honored with this award is very humbling. I am very grateful and honored. I will continue to work and play hard to be a great example for the younger generations,” Naylor said in a press release.
The 28-year-old earned the honor ahead of Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cleveland Guardians reliever Cade Smith.
“Josh Naylor was outstanding in both the regular season and the 2025 postseason,” Scott Crawford, the Hall’s chief operating officer, said in a news release. “His combination of power and basestealing ability made him one of the biggest offensive threats in the majors, and his energy and passion for baseball is infectious.”
Naylor was one of the Mariners’ most impactful players down the stretch, hitting .364 with a .982 OPS in September as Seattle cruised to the American League West title.
He also became the fourth first baseman in MLB history, and the second Canadian after Larry Walker, to record 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season.
He continued that momentum into the playoffs, batting .340 with a .966 OPS in 12 games and leading the Mariners with 16 hits. Naylor set several Canadian postseason records, including becoming the first Canadian to record four three-hit games in a single postseason.
He re-signed with Seattle to a five-year contract worth $92.5 million after the season.
Selected 12th overall by the Miami Marlins in the 2015 MLB draft, Naylor is entering his eighth season in the majors.
