OTTAWA – Baseball Canada is proud to congratulate Junior National Team alum Josh Naylor (Mississauga, ON) on being named the 2025 Tip O’Neill Award winner by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. This marks the second time Naylor has earned the honour, having first received it in 2023.
The Tip O’Neill Award is presented annually to the Canadian player who best exemplifies excellence in individual performance and team contribution while upholding baseball’s highest ideals.
A graduate of Baseball Canada’s Junior National Team, Naylor represented Canada five times in international competition, including three WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cups, helping Canada capture a silver medal in 2012 as well as the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He is also a two-time Junior National Team MVP.
Splitting his 2025 campaign between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners, Naylor led all Canadian major leaguers in batting average (.295), RBIs (92) and stolen bases (30), while ranking second among Canadians in hits (160), runs (81), home runs (20), doubles (29) and walks (48).
Naylor was exceptional down the stretch, hitting .364 with a .982 OPS in September as Seattle battled for the AL West title. He also became just the fourth first baseman in MLB history, and only the second Canadian, to record a 20-homer, 30-steal season, the first being Canadian legend Larry Walker in 1997.
In the postseason, Naylor continued to shine, batting .340 with a .966 OPS across 12 games. He set multiple Canadian postseason records, including becoming the first Canadian to log four three-hit games in a single postseason. In Game 2 of the ALCS, he made further history by becoming the first Canadian to homer against the Blue Jays in Canada in a postseason game.
Following the 2025 season, Naylor’s performance solidified him as a fan favourite in Seattle, where he signed a new five-year contract.
“Josh Naylor was outstanding in both the regular season and postseason in 2025,” said Scott Crawford, Director of Operations at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. “His combination of power and base-stealing ability made him one of the biggest offensive threats in the majors, and his passion for the game is contagious. He continues to be a wonderful role model through the many charities he supports.”
“To be honoured with this award is extremely humbling,” said Naylor. “I am very thankful and honoured. I will continue to work and play hard to be a great example for the younger generations.”
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