A Seattle Mariners first baseman has been grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. His showmanship, borderline play, and mind games have earned him the title of on-field villain. On Saturday, too, during Game 2 against the Detroit Tigers, he sparked controversy with his arrival at home plate.

“Josh Naylor throws his sliding mitt at the catcher as he crosses home plate,” reported Jomboy Media on June 7, 2026.

In the third inning, Randy Arozarena doubled to right field, scoring both Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor, who signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal that runs through 2030. But when Naylor got near home plate, he threw his running mitt right at catcher Dillon Dingler. But the call was ruled safe, and the Mariners eventually won 4-0.

But the tension between Detroit and Naylor did not begin this weekend. It goes back to the 2025 American League Division Series (ALDS), when the Tigers believed he was relaying signs to his teammates from second base.

During Game 4, cameras captured the 28-year-old making arm signals and gestures while on base. But even then, he didn’t violate any rules; it was like an unwritten rule of the game. When this happened, the players and fans felt very frustrated.

That history followed the team into this series. The drama began on Friday when Naylor collided with Kevin McGonigle at first base. After fielding a slow roller, Naylor raced to the bag himself instead of flipping to pitcher Bryan Woo.

Woo was already covering first, ready for an easy flip. Instead, Naylor beat McGonigle to the base, and the prospect’s head crashed into his shoulder.

McGonigle escaped with a cut near his eye, but the hard collision drew a lot of attention. Tigers manager A. J. Hinch later said that Naylor had a serious size advantage during the play.

At 5-foot-11 and 235 pounds, Naylor outweighed McGonigle by nearly 50 pounds. While Detroit did not publicly call the play dirty, we could clearly see the frustration building. And it boiled over in Saturday’s game.

After Naylor’s play, everyone knew the Tigers would get their payback, and they did. When Naylor came out to bat again, pitcher Keider Montero drilled him with a fastball right in the shoulder.

Naylor reacted and caused more chaos. He smiled, exchanged words with Dillon Dingler, and calmly jogged toward first base. And when Arozarena came up to bat and hit a ground ball, Naylor created more chaos. The Mariners infielder slid hard into Gleyber Torres.

That is why the Tigers have always viewed Naylor as a constant irritant to the team. They believe he is emotional and thrives on chaos. Even the rival team’s fans are not ready to let Naylor forget this.

Josh Naylor called out by Tigers fans after a couple of unnecessary incidents

Fans said things like “Naylor is a real jerk,” and “He’s easily one of the most unlikable players in the game today,” after his dirty play. This isn’t Naylor’s first controversial moment. In the 2022 ALDS, he made a gesture toward Gerrit Cole that angered Yankees fans. After homering off Cole, Naylor took his time rounding the bases, taunting Cole with a “rocking the baby” gesture.

This angered many fans because it looked like Naylor was calling Cole his son, and this became one of the biggest storylines of that postseason.

One fan questioned the call: “How is this not interference?” Under MLB rules, throwing equipment to distract a catcher should be flagged. But the umpire ruled Naylor safe, and the Mariners scored 2 runs on that hit. That took the Mariners to 3-0, giving them a clear advantage over the Tigers.

One fan wrote, “Dude is a dirty player. Just who he is,” while another reminded readers of the 2025 ALCS incident, calling it a “dumb d**k move.”

In the 2025 ALCS Game 7 vs. Toronto, Naylor jumped in front of a throw to break a double play—another controversial moment. It didn’t work because the umpires ruled it a double play, and the Marines eventually lost 3-4.

And with Naylor causing another incident like this, the frustration keeps building for fans who want to see a clean game.