Josh Naylor Named Team Canada Captain for the 2026 WBC
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By Harry Kettle
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Summary:
- Josh Naylor will captain Canada at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
- The 28-year-old is coming off a lucrative year split between Arizona and Seattle.
- Canada will open on March 7 vs. Colombia, when it will chase its first round breakthrough.
Josh Naylor is getting ready to embrace a new role this spring. The Seattle Mariners slugger has been named captain of Team Canada for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Baseball Canada announced Monday.
Another Milestone for Naylor
For Naylor, who grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, it’s another milestone in what has already been a memorable stretch of baseball.
The 28-year-old just picked up his second Tip O’Neill Award in 2025, an honour handed out by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame each year to the country’s top player. He previously won it in 2023. This latest recognition comes on the heels of arguably the most complete season of his career.
Split between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Mariners in 2025, Naylor played no less than 147 games, setting a career high with 30 stolen bases.
He also hit .295 with 20 home runs, showing a blend of power and speed that made him one of the more dynamic hitters in the league.
He found another gear in October. Over 12 postseason games, Naylor batted .340 before Seattle was knocked out by the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series.
Against Toronto, he was especially dangerous, going 10-for-24 with three home runs across seven games. He hit .417 in that series and kept the Mariners in the fight until the end.
Not long after that run, Seattle made its commitment clear. Naylor re-signed with the club on a five-year, $92.5 million deal, cementing his place as a key piece of the franchise moving forward.
Second World Baseball Classic Appearance
Now he turns his attention to international play. This will be his second World Baseball Classic appearance. He saw limited action in 2017, going 0-for-2 in two games, and missed the 2023 tournament because of an ankle injury.
Canada will open the 2026 WBC on March 7 against Colombia. The program is still looking to advance past the first round for the first time. Its best finish came in 2006, when it placed ninth.
With Naylor wearing the captain’s “C,” Canada will hope this tournament feels different.
