The Guardians duo carrying Jamaica’s baseball legacy

Naylor, who is from the greater Toronto area, and McKenzie, a native of South Florida, grew up in homes influenced by Jamaican culture, and each regularly made trips to the island nation as children to spend time with family and friends. The experiences shaped them. In fact, McKenzie inherited his love for baseball from his Jamaican father, Stanton McKenzie, who taught him his curveball and paid for private pitching instruction. Naylor inherited his love of baseball, hockey and Jamaica from his mother.

The duo are on a short list of teammates of Jamaican descent to play together at the MLB level. Chili Davis and Devon White of the 1988-90 Angels are the most recognizable pair. (Davis and White are two of only four players actually born in Jamaica to appear in an AL or NL game).

“It’s an honor to play the game. I have to thank Jackie [Robinson], because without him, we wouldn’t have this chance,” said Naylor. “It is humbling what Triston and I are able to do here when it comes to representing our families and where we’re from.