Little details make Josh Naylor the perfect Mariners player to torture Canada

There's no denying the impact Josh Naylor has had on the Mariners in his short time in Seattle, and it's no surprise that he's quickly become a firm fan favorite. However, this adoration from the M's fanbase goes far beyond just his productivity, as tremendous as he has been on the field.

What additionally makes Naylor so beloved is his appearance, with him being relatable to the average person due to almost looking like he shouldn't even be playing baseball at the highest level. Interestingly, his everyday man, ruffled, dad bod look belies a cerebral personality who's always studying the game and aiming to find an advantage.

It also helps that Naylor plays as if every game could be his last, throwing his body around with an almost blatant disregard for his own safety, while sporting a semi-permanent wince or scowl on his face as if he's just picked up another potential injury. Which brings us to the genesis of what makes him who he is; the fact that he's Canadian.

Naylor's rough and tumble approach makes all the sense in the world when you realize he hails from the birthplace of hockey. And at the risk of stereotyping Canadians — albeit positively, and you can trust me since I used to live and work in Toronto — it also explains why he is so down to earth with no hint of any airs or graces. (Heck, he even wore a Kraken jersey when the team was celebrating their Game 5 win over the Tigers.)

A homecoming for Josh Naylor versus the Blue Jays

As a proud Canadian, you know it means the world for Naylor to be facing off (no pun intended) against the Blue Jays in this AL Championship Series. Further, Games 1 and 2 were effectively a homecoming with him being born in Mississauga, which is less than an hour's drive from Toronto.

As such, it must have felt like the ultimate bind for Canadians in the Ontario area, to root against one of their own and also someone who is just hard to root against in general. Case in point being the fact he wears a Canadian flag on his belt when playing, as well as further evidence of his down-to-earth nature in proudly showing baby photos to friends ahead of Game 2 on Monday:

After events of Game 2, it must really by a litmus test of another positive stereotype about how friendly and accepting Canadians are. He ended up having a game-high three hits and a two-RBI homer, in a game which the Mariners went on to win 10-3 and forge into a 2-0 series lead.

As per Mariners PR on social media, what really made Naylor's home run special was that it was the first one ever hit by a Canadian in the postseason as a visiting player in Canada. Additionally, he became just the fourth Canadian-born player to homer in Canada during the playoffs, joining Blue Jays players Russell Martin, Michael Saunders and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Canadian baseball fans must be painfully proud of Josh Naylor

Talk about a conflict of interest between being proud of one of your own, but also putting your team on the road to elimination. It really must be torturous for Canadian Blue Jays fans, especially when adding in that there's an intense rivalry with the Mariners, as evidenced by legions of Canadians making the yearly trek over the border to infiltrate and take over T-Mobile Park for three games.

Ultimately, as proud as Canadians will be of Naylor, it does come secondary to the success of their beloved Blue Jays. So Mariners fans, try not to be too offended by any boos he does receive over the remainder of this ALCS, especially as it will likely allude to him and the team continuing to produce and win games in their quest to reach a first ever World Series.