Not Afraid to Fail
He's big. He's slow. And somehow, Josh Naylor is stealing bases like he's got rockets in his cleats.
A first baseman listed at 5'11", 235 pounds. Ranked 532nd in sprint speed out of 546 players. The kind of guy who looks like he'd get thrown out stealing first base.
And yet—22 stolen bases this season. Eighteen straight without being caught. He's swiping bags against Gold Glove catchers, stealing third base, even attempting to steal home.
How does baseball's slowest runner become one of its most dangerous base thieves?
There is a mental shift when you turn fear "It's about not being afraid to fail. Not being afraid to take a chance." —Josh Naylor
Most players his size never even attempt to steal. Fear of embarrassment. Fear of getting picked off. Fear of looking foolish. Naylor flipped the script. Instead of seeing his limitations, he saw opportunity.
Seek Failure
Catchers aren't expecting the big guy to run. Pitchers get comfortable. That hesitation becomes his advantage.
Process Over Results
His brother Bo calls it "pattern recognition and being able to take advantage of those things."
This isn't luck. It's homework. Naylor studies pitcher tendencies obsessively. Timing their delivery to home plate. Watching how they hold runners. Cataloging which counts they're most focused on the batter.
The process: Hours of film study become split-second decisions on the basepaths.
Imagery
Before he even takes his lead, Naylor has already seen the steal in his mind. He's visualized the pitcher's rhythm, the catcher's positioning, his jump, his slide.
When the moment comes, his body is just executing what his mind already rehearsed.
The Result: Eighteen straight successful steals. A reminder that in sports, as in life, your biggest limitations often exist only in your head.
Speed helps. But courage, preparation, and the right mindset? That's what separates good from great.
“It’s about not being afraid to fail. Not being afraid to take a chance. I try not to think about failure. I just like to play hard.”
Ready to continue developing your process-focused mindset and imagery skills? Dive back into Season Zero.