Josh Naylor provides Guardians fans with one final postseason favor as AL West race reaches new low 

Although Josh Naylor’s Guardians legacy has changed a bit since the Guardians traded him away, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate the moments when he does something that helps out his old club. 

The latest example of that came last night when Naylor recorded a walk-off single against the Houston Astros that helped cut the Guardians’ Magic Number to clinch a postseason spot to just one. 

The Guardians may have missed out on a golden opportunity to gain a game in the American League Central thanks to their 1-0 loss to the Red Sox earlier in the night, but Naylor’s heroics helped them salvage something out of Wednesday’s night slate. 

Josh Naylor helped push the Guardians closer to postseason with walk-off against Astros

Naylor’s walk-off came at the end of a wild game that was a good encapsulation of the state of the race for the American League West title. Both the Rangers and Astros lost last night, which means they’re still tied for the lead in the American League West with losing records. 

The Astros entered their game with a chance to gain a game in the AL West race thanks to the Rangers losing their game earlier in the day, but they blew that chance with a late-game collapse that was finished off by Naylor’s walk-off single in extra innings. 

While the Guardians’ Magic Number was cut down to one thanks to the Rangers’ aforementioned loss, the Astros loss made their postseason journey a little easier since the Rangers and Astros are tied atop the American League West (though the Astros are in first by virtue of the tiebreaker). 

His walk-off also kept the Mariners postseason hopes alive for one more day, though they’ll be eliminated the next time either the Rangers or Astros win a game. 

Although Naylor is in the midst of the worst statistical season of his career (which is one of the biggest reasons why the Mariners are where they are in the standings), he managed to salvage one final highlight before the end of the season. 

Even though the Guardians don’t know who they’re going to play in the postseason just yet, the American League West winner is going to factor into that race somehow. 

If the Guardians slip down to the No. 6 seed then they'll travel to either Houston or Arlington to play the winner of the American League West in the Wild Card Series.

And if the Guardians win the division then they’ll play against either the White Sox or the AL West winner in the American League Division Series. 

It’s a weird, convoluted situation, but the easiest way for the Guardians to simplify it is by winning the rest of the way. The Royals threw the Guardians a bone on Wednesday by beating the White Sox, but that’s not a sustainable way to hold onto the division title. 

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