Taylor Lynn Hearn (born August 30, 1994) 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 ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who is a free agent. He has previously played 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), ...

(MLB) for the Texas Rangers,

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 ...

, and Kansas City Royals.

Amateur career

Hearn attended

Royse City High School Royse City High School is a public secondary school located in Royse City, Texas, United States and is the only high school in the Royse City Independent School District. The current building opened in the fall of 2006, and is located in the sou ...

Royse City, Texas Royse City is a city in Rockwall County in the U.S. state of Texas. It also extends into Collin and Hunt counties. The population was 2,957 at the 2000 census, rising to 9,349 in 2010. The estimated population in 2018 was 12,998. In 2020, its po ...

. He was drafted after his senior year by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 22nd round of the

2012 Major League Baseball draft The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the List of first overall Major League Baseball draft picks, first ...

. Rather than sign, Hearn chose to attend

San Jacinto College San Jacinto College is a public community college in the Greater Houston with its campuses in Pasadena and Houston, Texas. Established in 1961, San Jacinto College originally consisted of the independent school districts (ISD) of Channelview, ...

to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional p ...

. He was then drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 36th round of the

2013 MLB draft The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in ...

, but did not sign. After a second season at San Jacinto, Hearn was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 25th round of the

2014 MLB draft The 2014 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June ...

. He chose to transfer to

Oklahoma Baptist University Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) is a private Baptist university in Shawnee, Oklahoma. It was established in 1910 under the original name of The Baptist University of Oklahoma. OBU is owned and was founded by the Baptist General Convention of ...

instead of signing. After one year at Oklahoma Baptist, Hearn was drafted 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 ...

in the fifth round of the

2015 MLB draft Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...

and signed.

Professional career

Washington Nationals

Hearn spent the 2015 season with both the

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

GCL 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 ...

and the Low–A

Auburn Doubledays The Auburn Doubledays are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) that is located in Auburn, New York. From 1958 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL ...

, posting a 1–5 record and a 3.56

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) in 12 games (11 starts). He began 2016 with the GCL Nationals and was later promoted to the Single–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 ...

Pittsburgh Pirates

On July 30, 2016, the Nationals traded Hearn, along with

Felipe Vázquez Felipe Javier Vázquez (né Rivero, born July 5, 1991), nicknamed "Nightmare", is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher and convicted sex offender who is currently on the restricted list for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He previously played for ...

, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for

Mark Melancon Mark David Melancon ( ; born March 28, 1985) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pira ...

. He played the rest of the season with their Single–A

West Virginia Power The Charleston Dirty Birds are an American professional baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a partner league of Major League Baseball. The ...

. In 18 games (seven starts) pitched between the Nationals, Doubledays, and Suns, he had a 2–1 record with a 2.44 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. Hearn played the entire 2017 season with the High–A

Bradenton Marauders The Bradenton Marauders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Bradenton, Florida, and play their home games at LECOM Park, which also serves as the ...

, accumulating a 4–6 record and a 4.12 ERA in 19 games (18 starts). He began 2018 with the Double-A

Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of th ...

and was selected for the Eastern League All-Star team.

Texas Rangers

Hearn was traded to the Texas Rangers, along with

Sherten Apostel Sherten Wimbert Ramiro Apostel (born March 11, 1999) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball third baseman and first baseman who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. Career ...

, in exchange for

Keone Kela Keone Cole Kela (born April 16, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates and San ...

on July 30, 2018. He finished the year with the Double-A

Frisco RoughRiders The Frisco RoughRiders (often shortened to 'Riders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Frisco, Texas, and are named for the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regime ...

. In 24 starts between both clubs, he went 4–8 with a 3.49 ERA. The Rangers added him to their 40-man roster after the season. In 2019, Hearn was optioned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds to open the season. In 4 games for Nashville, Hearn went 1–3 with a 4.05 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 20 innings. Hearn was promoted to the Rangers on April 25, 2019, to make his major league debut that night against the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

. He pitched just of an inning, allowing five runs (four earned). On April 26, he was placed on the injured list with inflammation in his left elbow. Hearn did not return to game action in 2019, as he suffered a fracture in his elbow during rehabilitation in June. In 2020, Hearn went 0–0 with a 3.63 ERA and 23 strikeouts over innings for Texas. With Texas in 2021, Hearn went 6–6 with a 4.66 ERA and 92 strikeouts over innings. Hearn went 6–8 with a 5.13 ERA and 97 strikeouts over 100 innings in 2022. He bounced between the rotation and bullpen that season, as well as being demoted to the

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...

of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League for three games. On August 21, 2022, Hearn earned his first career save. On January 13, 2023, Hearn agreed to a one-year, $1.4625 million contract with the Rangers, avoiding salary arbitration. Hearn spent the majority of his time with Round Rock, posting a 3.66 ERA with 54 strikeouts in innings; in four games for Texas, he struggled to a 10.29 ERA, with seven strikeouts. On July 19, he was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Rangers following the promotion of Alex Speas.

Atlanta Braves

On July 24, 2023, the Rangers traded Hearn to the

in exchange for cash considerations. On July 29, he made his Braves debut, where he struggled, allowing four earned runs in relief. The next day, Hearn was optioned to the Triple-A

Gwinnett Stripers The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...

Kansas City Royals

On July 30, 2023, the Braves traded Hearn to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for

Nicky Lopez Nicholas Lopez (born March 13, 1995) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fifth round of the 2016 MLB draft, and made his MLB d ...

. On August 8, Hearn was promoted to the major leagues, and he made his Royals debut two days later, pitching an inning in relief, allowing one hit and no runs. In 8 games for the Royals, he struggled to an 8.22 ERA with 8 strikeouts in innings pitched. Following the season on October 26, Hearn was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A

Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, and play their home games at We ...

. However, Hearn subsequently rejected the assignment and elected free agency.

Personal life

Hearn is a Christian. Hearn's grandfather Cleo, father Robby, and three uncles are all former rodeo cowboys. Hearn participated in rodeos growing up from the age 4 through age 17. Hearn's high school number 21 was retired by

in 2017.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hearn, Taylor 1994 births Living people African-American baseball players Altoona Curve players Atlanta Braves players Auburn Doubledays players Baseball players from Collin County, Texas Baseball players from Rockwall County, Texas Bradenton Marauders players Frisco RoughRiders players Glendale Desert Dogs players Gulf Coast Nationals players Gulf Coast Pirates players Hagerstown Suns players Kansas City Royals players Major League Baseball pitchers Nashville Sounds players Oklahoma Baptist Bison baseball players Omaha Storm Chasers players People from Royse City, Texas Round Rock Express players San Jacinto Central Ravens baseball players Texas Rangers players West Virginia Power players 21st-century African-American sportspeople