Position: OF
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 215 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 03/26/1991
High School: Westminster Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
Drafted: 6th Round, 172nd Overall, 2009 (Nationals)
How Acquired: Free Agent
Bonus: $125,000
40-man Roster: Yes
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Minor League Free Agency: N/A
Options Left: N/A
Overview
Taylor’s had a lengthy career as a center fielder in the majors, although he’s never firmly established himself as an everyday player. He’s one of the best defensive outfielders in MLB, and he has outstanding speed and a strong arm. On offense, he’s consistently been a liability. He has some power, but he has severe contact issues and rarely walks, so he’s not going to get on base much. His career wRC+ is just 82, with the main issue being a career OBP of just .294. He’s done respectably against LHPs, with a career OPS of .746, but he’s managed only .657 against RHPs. The Pirates signed Taylor to a one-year contract for $4M as a free agent for 2024.
2010-14
After being drafted as a shortstop in round 6, Taylor had a rough debut in rookie ball in 2010. He didn’t hit much and was plagued with errors. Washington moved him to center in 2011 and also promoted him to Low Class A, and he played well defensively while also making progress at the plate. He put up a .742 OPS, but did strike out in a quarter of his plate appearances while posting a low walk rate.
In High A in 2012, Taylor went backward, with just a .680 OPS. The Nationals sent him back to the level in 2013 and he improved, but not dramatically, to .767. Washington added him to its 40-man roster after the season.
Taylor’s big step forward came in 2014, when he hit for a 313/396/539 line with a good walk rate. He did, though, strike out in nearly a third of his plate appearances. He got into 17 major league games late in the season.
2015-18
Taylor started the 2015 season as Washington’s regular center fielder. He got sent down for a week in late April, but otherwise spent the season as a starter in the majors. He put up just a .641 OPS there and struck out in about 30% of his plate appearances. He returned in 2016 but hit about the same; the Nationals sent him to AAA for much of the second half.
In 2017, Taylor missed a little over a month starting in July with an oblique strain, but otherwise had his best major league season offensively, in fact the only one in which he wasn’t below average. He had a line of 271/320/486, although his walk and K rates were still bad. In 2018, he remained the starter in center but fell off sharply, posting just a .644 OPS.
2019-20
In 2019, Taylor strained his left knee and hip in spring training. He missed much of April and then played only sporadically through late June, not hitting much. At that point, the Nationals optioned him to AA and he stayed there until September. On the year, he had only 97 plate appearances in the majors. In the pandemic season, he again played semi-regularly, putting up a .676 OPS in 99 plate appearances. He became a free agent after the season and signed a three-year contract with the Royals.
2021-24
Taylor spent two years as the center fielder in Kansas City, hitting about like always; he had a .653 OPS in 2021 and ..670 in 2022. After the latter season, the Royals sent him to Minnesota in a trade. He hit a career-high 21 home runs for the Twins, but he still managed just a below-average 220/278/442 line. His walk rate of 6.7% and strikeout rate of 33.5% were significantly worse than the MLB averages of 8.6% and 22.7%, respectively. Taylor became a free agent after the season and signed with the Pirates in the middle of spring training.
Taylor continued to play defense at a Gold Glove level, but had a career-worst season at the plate. The Pirates nevertheless stuck with him until there were six games left in the season, then designated him for assignment.
Stats
Transactions
June 10, 2009: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 6th round, 172nd overall pick; signed on June 15.
November 20, 2013: Contract purchased by the Washington Nationals.
October 15, 2020: Became a free agent.
November 30, 2020: Signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Royals.
January 24, 2023: Traded by the Kansas City Royals to the Minnesota Twins for Evan Sisk and Steven Cruz.
November 2, 2023: Became a free agent.
March 15, 2024: Signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
September 24, 2024: Designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates.