As the curtain closed on 2025, baseball fans couldn't help but reminisce about the MLB season's most memorable moments. And the Seattle Mariners? They were front and center in many of those highlights. But here's where it gets controversial: while the Mariners celebrated their share of triumphs, one particular moment from the season stood out for all the wrong reasons—Josh Naylor's excruciatingly slow home run trot against them. Yes, you read that right. The very player who would later become a Mariners hero had once been their nemesis, delivering a crushing blow in a way that left fans shaking their heads.
Let’s rewind to the early season, when the Mariners faced the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game series from June 9-11. Naylor, then with the D-backs, went on an absolute tear, going 8 for 12 with a home run, two doubles, two walks, three runs, and six RBIs. His performance led Arizona to a sweep that dropped Seattle below .500, a low point in their season. And this is the part most people miss: that home run wasn’t just any home run—it was a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 11th inning, a moment that seemed to define the Mariners’ struggles at the time.
Fast forward to Tuesday, when MLB Stats highlighted Naylor’s grand slam for a peculiar reason: it was the slowest home run trot of the entire 2025 season. Clocking in at a staggering 37.10 seconds, Naylor took his sweet time admiring the ball’s flight, adding a dramatic bat flip for good measure before casually jogging around the bases. It was a moment of pure showmanship, but for Mariners fans, it was a painful reminder of their team’s early-season woes.
Yet, as fate would have it, the tides turned dramatically over the next month. Seattle rebounded with a 22-14 stretch, improving their record to 55-48, while the Diamondbacks stumbled to 50-53. This shift in fortunes transformed the Mariners into buyers and the D-backs into sellers ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. In one of the season’s biggest moves, Naylor—yes, the same Naylor—was traded to Seattle, along with All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez. The duo became instrumental in the Mariners’ historic run, helping them clinch their first AL West title in 24 years and coming within one win of the World Series.
Naylor’s impact in Seattle was undeniable, with clutch moments in both the regular season and playoffs. Looking back now, it feels almost surreal to watch that grand slam against the Mariners, knowing he’d soon be wearing their uniform. And with Naylor re-signing a five-year, $92.5 million deal in November, Seattle fans can rest assured that his dramatic trots will now be a source of celebration, not frustration.
But here’s the question that lingers: Was Naylor’s slow trot against the Mariners a sign of disrespect, or simply a player savoring a career-defining moment? Let’s debate it in the comments. And while we’re at it, what other controversial moments from the 2025 season still have you talking? Share your thoughts below!
