Josh Naylor just keeps finding new ways to nudge Mariners toward World Series

Josh Naylor has been showcasing a solid bat and a solid glove for years, but there's more to how he became a Seattle Mariners fan favorite so quickly after they acquired him in July. He's a player who owns the margins through his other talents, such as clutch hitting and stealing bases.

It would also seem that Naylor has a talent for subterfuge, as Casey Mize and the Detroit Tigers found out the hard way in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday.

After going hitless in the first three games, Naylor got off the schneid with a one-out double off Mize in the second inning. He eventually came around to score on an RBI single by Dominic Canzone, and he may have signaled something on the pitch that Canzone hit into right field.

Josh Naylor finds a new way to help the Mariners by picking something up from Casey Mize

Mize was among the many, many people who noticed Naylor signaling to Eugenio Suárez in the at-bat prior to Canzone's. As recounted by Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, Mize did not appreciate it, but that did not stop Naylor from keeping up the act on the righty's first pitch to Canzone.

Just as it was a splitter that struck out Suárez, it was likewise a splitter that Canzone knocked into right field to drive in Naylor and give the Mariners a 1-0 lead. Whether it was that or simply where the catcher was setting up that Naylor was signaling, well, it worked.

If it was the pitch Naylor was signaling, it would have led to a sign-stealing controversy in the olden days. But in the age of PitchCom, it's more likely a good old-fashioned case of pitch-tipping. It's a big deal in today's MLB, and there are any number of ways to go about it. Mize may not have been hiding his grip from Naylor well enough. Or, he might have telegraphed his splitter by how he squeezed his glove or some other tic.

It's also possible that Naylor had nothing and was just trying to get in Mize's head. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times pondered the possibility on X, albeit with a note that any attempt to question Naylor on it wouldn't result in "an honest answer."

Naylor was at it again after A.J. Hinch lifted Mize for Tyler Holton in the fourth inning. Whether he has anything or not, he's clearly committed to the bit as the Mariners seek to punch their ticket to the American League Championship Series.

Either way, what Naylor has done is give the Mariners yet another reason to want him back after 2025. You always want to have talented ballplayers. If said talented ballplayers also know the game this well, even more so.