Josh Naylor Wins 2026 Bat Flip Championship Belt

Josh Naylor claimed the bat flip championship belt after hitting a 390-foot home run onto the concourse beyond the right-field bleachers during a win at Minnesota. Naylor stepped backward into the opposite batter's box, watched the ball leave the park, then flipped the bat high and behind him.

He is known for similar flips, and observers called this one his best. He hit a 426-foot home run into the second deck at T-Mobile Park, dropped nearly to one knee, pointed the bat skyward, then long-tossed it with both hands before a 31.54-second trot.

Arozarena later played Seattle's home run trident like a guitar in front of the dugout camera. 184 as a team.

contest Gavin Sheets hit a 434-foot walk-off home run at Petco Park to give the Padres a 5-2 win over the Colorado Rockies. He held the bat briefly before a one-handed sidearm toss. The contest judges the bat flip rather than the home run's drama, so Arozarena took the belt over Sheets. Naylor's performance ended Arozarena's hold on the belt after the first two contests of the season.