Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor seems to take a lot of pleasure in beating the New York Yankees. Naylor's recent comments to Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo give some insight into why the Guardians' infielder loves to go up against the Bronx Bombers.
“I always tell [Anthony] Rizzo that this team is like the Monstars from Space Jam,” Josh Naylor said, via MLB.com's Brian Hoch. “They’re the biggest team ever. It’s always going to be a battle.”
Naylor led the Guardians' comeback against the Yankees Monday night, tying the game with a bases-loaded single in the ninth inning. Three batters later, catcher Mike Zunino drew a walk to give Cleveland a 3-2 lead that New York couldn't overcome in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Naylor caught the Yankees' attention with his “rock the baby” celebration around the bases during Game 4 of their 2022 ALDS matchup. Naylor hit a home run off Gerrit Cole in the fourth inning of Game 4 that cut New York's lead to 3-2. The Yankees ended up winning the game, which forced a deciding Game 5. New York won Game 5 and eliminated Cleveland from the playoffs.
The Space-Jam comparison from Naylor seems to fit for the Guardians and other small-market teams. The Yankees' payroll of nearly $280 million is more than three times greater than what Cleveland spends on its players. The Guardians are one of nine teams that have a payroll of less than $100 million.
While the Yankees have more star power than just about every team, it's been 14 years since New York last won the World Series. Cleveland has been to the Fall Classic more recently than New York.
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