Myles Naylor was recruited by dozens of NCAA baseball programs, but there really was only one choice for the talented Canadian.
Texas Tech.
His eldest brother, Josh Naylor, committed to the Big 12 school in 2015, so there was a familiarity that gave the Red Raiders an edge.
“Texas Tech won because obviously Josh was committed there,” said Myles, talking about his older brother, who now plays for the Cleveland Guardians. “They know [what] my family is about, and we knew what they were about. So, it was kind of an easy process talking to them.”
Success has followed the Naylor family for many years: Josh, now 24, was drafted in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft (12th overall), while Noah, now 22, was drafted in the first round (29th overall) in the 2018 MLB draft. They are together with the Cleveland Guardians.
Conner Morro, strength and conditioning coach with the Ontario Blue Jays, has a close relationship with the Naylor family, and sets each of the brothers apart by knowing their personalities and style of play.
“I think he’s [Myles] done a great job with his demeanor, handling the pressure, just because of the person he is,” Morro said, over a Zoom call last week. “He’s very well spoken and not shy, but he’s not loud and obnoxious about who he is.”
The instructor says the best thing about his job is seeing the players go off to college or the pros.
“[It’s great] when they come back and train with us and have a conversation, seeing how they’re doing and having that lifelong relationship with the athletes that you get to work with.”
Healthy family competition was one of the memories Myles had with his brothers. This influenced his competitive nature and now he believes he can set himself apart from his family.
“With me being confident in myself, yes, I would say I have the ability to surpass them,” said Myles. “Josh and Noah have given me the experience and the knowledge of how to be better and how to be a great player in general.
“We’re all different players. I think I have the potential to be the best one out of all.”