Michael Anthony Taylor
(born March 26, 1991) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
center fielder for the
Minnesota Twins of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). Taylor was drafted in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the
2009 MLB draft by the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
, and made his MLB debut with them in 2014. Taylor was a member of the
2019 World Series champions. The Nationals traded Taylor to the
Kansas City Royals after the 2020 season, and he won the
Gold Glove Award and
Fielding Bible Award
A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process, which commenced in 2 ...
in 2021.
Early life and education
Taylor was born to military parents; his father, Anthony Taylor, was a logistics officer for 22 years in the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
. Taylor has four older sisters. He was a high school teammate of
Matt den Dekker
Matthew Gerrit den Dekker (born August 10, 1987) is an American baseball coach and former outfielder, who is the minor league baserunning and outfielding coach for the New York Mets. He played college baseball at Florida for coach Kevin O'Sulliv ...
, with whom he would play for the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
in the
2015 and
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
seasons, while attending
Westminster Academy.
Career
Washington Nationals
2009–13
Taylor was signed out of
Westminster Academy as a
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
in the
2009 Major League Baseball draft, after the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
selected him with their sixth-round pick. He forwent a commitment to the
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public research university in Jacksonville, Florida. It is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Sc ...
to go professional with the Nationals. Taylor did not make his minor league debut in the 2009 season but served as a versatile infielder for the
Gulf Coast League Nationals
The Florida Complex League Nationals are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Washington Nationals, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to the 2021 season, the team was known as the Gulf Coast League Nationals. The ...
in 2010, committing 21 errors across three positions: shortstop,
second baseman, and
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
. He appeared in 38 games and batted .195 with one home run.
![MG 0163 Michael Taylor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/MG_0163_Michael_Taylor.jpg)
At the beginning of fall instructional league play in 2010, Taylor was told he would be switching positions from shortstop to
center fielder, after a hand injury had limited his development in the infield in his first year in the Nationals' minor league system. Beginning at the Class A
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home ga ...
in 2011, Taylor exclusively appeared as an outfielder, a trend that continued with the Class A-Advanced
Potomac Nationals
The Potomac Nationals were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They were located in Woodbridge, Virginia, and played their home games at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium. After the 2019 season, the team relocated to F ...
in 2012 and 2013. His offensive output improved as well, as he batted .263 with 10 home runs in 133 games with the Potomac Nationals in 2013, earning him honors as the team's Player of the Year, before heading to
Puerto Rican winter baseball to play for the
Indios de Mayaguez.
Taylor was added to the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
' 40-man roster on November 20, 2013, after the end of the
2013 season. At the time, he ranked as the Nationals' fourth-best prospect according to ''
MLB Pipeline'', and seventh-best according to ''
Baseball America''.
2014 season
On August 10, Taylor was called up by the Nationals when
Steven Souza
Steven Jeffrey Souza Jr. (born April 24, 1989) is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodg ...
was placed on the 15-day disabled list. On August 12, he made his Major League debut against the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
in
Citi Field
Citi Field is a baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City, United States. It opened in 2009 and is the home field of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. The stadium was built as a replacement for the adjacent ...
, where he collected his first major league hit, a single off pitcher
Rafael Montero. He also hit his first major league home run, a two-run homer against pitcher
Carlos Torres, that night. Taylor was optioned back to the AAA
Syracuse Chiefs
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
* Syracuse, Indiana
*Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
on August 23, after the Nationals selected veteran
Nate Schierholtz
Nathan John "Nate" Schierholtz (born February 15, 1984) is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants (2007–2012), Philadelphia Phillies (2012), Chicago Cubs ...
's contract. He was again recalled after rosters expanded in September and was in center field on September 28, in the final game of the
2014 regular season, when
Jordan Zimmermann
Jordan M. Zimmermann (born May 23, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers, and Milwaukee Brewers. Zimmermann was a two-time MLB All-Star, an ...
completed the first
no-hitter in Nationals history.
Taylor was ranked third among Nationals prospects by the end of 2014 by ''MLB Pipeline'' and second by ''Baseball America''.
2015 season
Taylor opened the
2015 season as the Nationals' starting center fielder while
Denard Span
Keiunta Denard Span (born February 27, 1984) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mar ...
was on the disabled list. Despite starting the season well by sporting a .279 batting average, he was optioned to the Class-AAA
Syracuse Chiefs
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
* Syracuse, Indiana
*Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
on April 19 to make room on the active roster for Span. He was recalled on April 29 when
Reed Johnson was placed on the disabled list. During an away game against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
on May 13, Taylor substituted for right fielder
Bryce Harper
Bryce Aron Max Harper (born October 16, 1992) is an American professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Prior to his arrival in Philadelphia, Harper played for the Wash ...
after Harper was ejected in the seventh inning. In his first at-bat in the ninth inning, he came up with the bases loaded for the first time in his career and hit a go-ahead
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
, effectively clinching the game for the Nationals.
On August 20, Taylor hit the second-longest home run of the 2015 MLB season, crushing a pitch from
Colorado Rockies starter
Yohan Flande
Yohan Carlos Concepción Flande (born January 27, 1986) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He formerly played for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB), and the Samsung Lions of the Korea Ba ...
493 feet into the stands at
Coors Field
Coors Field is a baseball stadium in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. Opened in 1995, the park is located in Denver's Lower Downtown neighborhood, two blocks from Union Station. The ...
. Taylor suffered a right knee injury on August 27 after slamming into the wall while attempting to run down a line drive off the bat of
Melvin Upton, Jr., but he was healthy enough to make a pinch-hitting appearance in the tenth inning against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
on September 4. He hit a three-run home run for a walk-off victory over the visiting Braves.
On September 8, Taylor hit a "
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...]
pitcher
Matt Harvey
Matthew Edward Harvey (born March 27, 1989), nicknamed The Dark Knight, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, ...
after a bases-loaded single got by center fielder
Yoenis Céspedes
Yoenis Céspedes Milanés (born October 18, 1985), nicknamed "La Potencia" (The Power), is a Cuban-born professional baseball outfielder. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on March 28, 2012, for the Oakland Athletics, and has also p ...
and went to the wall. He was not credited with an inside-the-park home run, with an error being charged to Céspedes on the play. Taylor himself allowed an inside-the-park grand slam on a similar play just weeks later, as he dove and missed a ball hit by
Philadelphia Phillies rookie
Aaron Altherr in a September 25 game, unloading the bases and allowing Altherr to score on his own hit. The play was scored a home run for Altherr.
Taylor finished the 2015 season batting .229/.282/.358 with 14 home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a .640
on-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...
percentage in 472 at bats over 138 games.
2016 season
Taylor opened the
2016 season as the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
' fourth outfielder, but an Opening Day injury to starting center fielder
Ben Revere
Ben Daniel Revere (born May 3, 1988) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Angels. ...
quickly thrust him into an everyday spot in the lineup.
On June 22, Taylor had what a writer for the
New England Sports Network described as possibly "the worst game in baseball history." He had five swinging strikeouts against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
and a fielding error that cost the Nationals the game when he failed to get his glove to the ground in time while charging a routine groundball hit by
Yasiel Puig in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Nationals were up by one run, 2–3, and the error resulted in Taylor's future Nationals teammate
Howie Kendrick
Howard Joseph Kendrick III (born July 12, 1983) is an American former professional baseball infielder and current special assistant to the General Manager for the Philadelphia Phillies. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim selected Kendrick in the ...
, who was on first base for the Dodgers at the time, and Puig both scoring for a walk-off Los Angeles victory.
Taylor was optioned to the
Syracuse Chiefs
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
* Syracuse, Indiana
*Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
to make room for the reactivation of closer
Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Robert Papelbon (; born November 23, 1980) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Boston Red Sox, with whom he was an All-Star in four cons ...
on July 4, but he was recalled after appearing in just one game for the Chiefs after first baseman
Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Wallace Zimmerman (born September 28, 1984) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman who played 16 seasons for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Zimmerman graduated from Kellam Hig ...
was placed on the disabled list on July 8. Taylor's return to the major leagues was short-lived, however, as he was optioned back to Syracuse after going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a loss against the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
on July 24.
Taylor rejoined the major league team after a little more than a month with the Chiefs, where he posted a meager .205 batting average over 31 games, being recalled August 29. He found himself once again relegated to a bench role, with rookie
Trea Turner
Trea Vance Turner (born June 30, 1993) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Turner pl ...
taking over in center field for the ineffectual Revere. He finished out the season batting .231./278/.376 with a .654
on-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...
percentage, seven home runs, and 16 stolen bases in 221 at bats in 76 major league games, and he was among the players named to the Nationals' playoff roster in the
2016 National League Division Series
The 2016 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams in the 2016 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners (seeded 1-3) and a fourth team—the winner of a one-gam ...
, where he received two at-bats and struck out in both appearances.
2017 season
Coming off what he described as a "pretty disappointing" 2016 season,
Taylor found himself in the familiar role of backup outfielder for the Nationals in the
2017 season, with
Adam Eaton taking over in center field and
Trea Turner
Trea Vance Turner (born June 30, 1993) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Turner pl ...
shifting to the shortstop position. However, for the third straight season, Taylor found himself in the role of everyday center fielder after the presumptive starter was injured early in the year, with Eaton tearing ligaments in his knee while running the bases in late April. Given regular playing time, Taylor resurrected a batting average that had hovered below .200 in limited appearances prior to Eaton's season-ending injury, hitting .290 in May and June while demonstrating above-average power.
Taylor landed on the major league disabled list for the first time in his career on July 7 with an oblique strain. He spent more than a month on the disabled list, with rookie
Brian Goodwin
Brian Carey Goodwin (25 March 1931 – 15 July 2009) (St Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada - Torbay, Devon, UK) was a Canadian mathematician and biologist, a Professor Emeritus at the Open University and a founder of theoretical biology and bio ...
taking over as the Nationals' regular center fielder in Taylor's absence. Upon Taylor's return to the team on August 13, after rehab assignments with the minor league
Potomac Nationals
The Potomac Nationals were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They were located in Woodbridge, Virginia, and played their home games at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium. After the 2019 season, the team relocated to F ...
and
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team of the Eastern League, and the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who play their home games at FNB Field on City Island, which opened in 1987 a ...
, Taylor reclaimed his spot in the starting lineup.
Two years to the day after his "Little League grand slam" against the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
, on September 8, 2017, Taylor hit a bases-loaded line drive to center field off
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher
Jake Thompson
Jacob Keith Thompson (born January 31, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and for the Lotte Gian ...
that a leaping
Odubel Herrera was unable to snare. Taylor circled the bases on the play, which was scored an inside-the-park grand slam — the first in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
since
Aaron Altherr's on September 25, 2015. In the same game, Taylor also singled twice and tripled, driving in a total of five runs, and recorded an outfield assist at home to preserve the Nationals' lead in the eventual 11–10 victory. Taylor finished the regular season batting .271/.320/.486 with 19 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases in 399 at bats.
In Game 4 of the
2017 NLDS
The 2017 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-game series to determine the participating teams of the 2017 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners (seeded 1–3) and a fourth team—the winner of a one ...
against the Chicago Cubs, Taylor hit a grand slam to put the Nationals ahead 5-0 and stave off elimination. It was the first grand slam in Nationals post-season history.
Taylor hit a go-ahead three-run homer on the second inning of Game 5 (which the Nationals ultimately lost 9–8).
2018 season
In 2018 Taylor struggled at the plate to start the season, batting .223 in April and .183 in May, but hit his stride in June, batting .444. He also led the major leagues in stolen bases as late as June 21. However, Taylor lost significant playing time due to the return of
Adam Eaton and the strong performance of
Juan Soto
Juan José Soto Pacheco (born October 25, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals.
Soto signed with the Nation ...
, relegating Taylor to fourth outfielder status. Taylor struggled again at the plate with limited playing time in the second half of the season,
[Michael A. Taylor ended the season struggling. The Nationals are hopeful he can turn it around.](_blank)
(Washington Post) and finished 2018 batting .227/.287/.357, with six home runs, 28 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases in 363 at bats.
In the 2018-2019 offseason, Taylor worked with Nationals hitting coach
Kevin Long to change his stance and swing to generate more contact, and practiced his new swing in the
Dominican Winter League
Dominican may refer to:
* Someone or something from or related to the Dominican Republic ( , stress on the "mi"), on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles, in the Caribbean
** People of the Dominican Republic
** Demographics of the Domi ...
.
Nationals
General Manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Mike Rizzo
Michael Rizzo, is an American DJ, record producer and remixer from New York City, active since the early 1990s. He is well known for working with various artists such as Jennifer Green and Sun, all of whom scored hits on both '' Billboard's Ho ...
said in December 2018 that he believes Taylor could be a
five-tool player if he can make more contact.
2019 season
In 2019 he batted .250/.305/.364 with one home run and three RBIs. In Game 2 of the
2019 World Series, Taylor hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth, becoming the 39th player to homer in their first ever World Series at-bat. With the home run the Nationals became the first team in World Series history to have a home run in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings of a game.
2020 season
After batting .196/.253/.424 with five home runs and 16 RBIs over 38 games in the shortened
2020 season, Taylor was placed on outright waivers by the Nationals. The team announced October 15, 2020, that he had cleared waivers and elected free agency rather than accept an assignment to the minor leagues.
Kansas City Royals
On November 30, 2020, Taylor signed a one-year contract worth $1.75 million with the
Kansas City Royals. On September 29, 2021, Taylor signed a two-year, $9 million contract extension.
2021 season
In 2021, Taylor batted .244/.297/.356 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs while playing a career high 142 games. He won a
Gold Glove Award and a
Fielding Bible Award
A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process, which commenced in 2 ...
as a center fielder, having led all AL center fielders with 11 assists and ranked third with 351 putouts and a .992 fielding percentage.
Minnesota Twins
On January 23, 2023, Taylor was traded to the
Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor league pitchers Steven Cruz and
Evan Sisk.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Michael A.
1991 births
Living people
African-American baseball players
Washington Nationals players
Kansas City Royals players
Gold Glove Award winners
Gulf Coast Nationals players
Hagerstown Suns players
Potomac Nationals players
Harrisburg Senators players
Syracuse Chiefs players
Indios de Mayagüez players
Major League Baseball center fielders
Baseball players from Fort Lauderdale, Florida
21st-century African-American sportspeople