When brothers end up playing the same sport and appear to be on similar paths towards a professional future, it’s easy to want to compare the younger and older brother.
For the Naylor brothers this runs especially true.
Seventeen-year-old Mississauga, Ont., native Noah Naylor is expected to be drafted in this June’s MLB draft and the road he’s taken to this has appeared remarkably similar to that of his older brother Josh.
Both brothers have been named Canadian Junior National Team MVP and Noah is actually expected to go 12th overall to the Toronto Blue Jays in the upcoming June 4 draft, the exact same spot Josh went to the Miami Marlins in 2015.
“It’s actually crazy how similar our paths have been leading up to now,” said Naylor as part of the latest edition of Sportsnet’s Junior Journey. “We definitely are always competing with each other, whether it’s in baseball, video games. … He makes me better and I try to make him better, we always try to push each other to work, to be our best.”
This bond was most publicly seen during last year’s MLB all-star festivities when Noah participated in the MLB High School Home Run Derby — an event Josh also participated in – while big brother played in the MLB All-Star Futures Game.
Despite the similar paths, however, the two brothers definitely completely the same. Positionally, while Josh is projected to be a first baseman/outfielder, Noah plays positions with slightly more important defensive responsibilities as a catcher/third baseman.
Additionally, Josh is said to possess more power, while Noah is more of an all-around player.
Regardless of their similarities and differences, Noah and Josh Naylor are just further examples of the impact Canadians are making on the game of baseball at the highest levels.
Watch the full Junior Journey feature below:
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