Worst First? Miami Marlins Biggest First Round Mistakes

7. Josh Naylor

Josh Naylor is a power hitting first baseman that the Marlins got in the first round back in 2015. Taken with the 12th overall pick out of Mississauga, ON, the five-foot-11, 185 lb. lefty-hitter joined the GCL Marlins and hit .327 in 25 games.

Promoted to the Greensboro Grasshoppers in the Single-A South Atlantic League in 2016, Naylor slashed .269/.317/.430 in 89 games. On July 29th, the Marlins sent him with Jarred Cosart, Luis Castillo, and Carter Capps to the San Diego Padres for Andrew Cashner, Colin Rea, and Tayron Guerrero.

Naylor eventually reached the major league level with the Padres, in 2019. In 94 games, he hit .249/.315/.403, with eight round-trippers and 32 RBI to land directly at 0.0 WAR. Rea pitched three innings for the Marlins before needing Tommy John Surgery, and Andrew Cashner put up a 1.747 WHIP in 52 2/3 of the worst innings of his career for Miami. Guerrero posted a 70 ERA+ over two seasons with the Marlins, ranking last of the 115 pitchers to have thrown 100 or more innings for the Marlins.

It’s not that Naylor was a particularly bad pick for the Marlins, it’s more for what they got in return from the Padres.