White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor introduced his retirement to members of the media as we speak, forward of the Sox going through the Nationals in Washington, a spot he performed for a few years. “To have the ability to play my final video games of my profession right here on this ballpark in entrance of those followers, it’s simply the icing on the cake,” Taylor stated, per Andrew Golden of The Washington Submit. He’s within the lineup for the Sox as we speak, taking part in heart subject and batting ninth, in what might be his closing sport.
Taylor, now 34, was a sixth-round choose of the Nationals again in 2009. He was a shortstop at the moment, thought of to be uncooked, however in possession of some elite instruments. He was moved to the outfield and shortly confirmed the potential to be a powerful defender. He additionally confirmed extra pop with the bat as he climbed the ladder, hitting 23 homers within the minors in 2014.
Going into 2015, he was thought of to be one of many high 100 prospects within the sport. Baseball America gave him the #32 spot, MLB Pipeline had him at #42, Baseball Prospectus at #57 and ESPN at #71. FanGraphs was a bit extra bearish, placing him at #133 on their high 200 checklist.
Taylor had already made a short main league debut in 2014 however received extra correctly established in 2015. He received into 138 video games for the Nats, popping 14 homers and stealing 16 luggage, however his total worth was held again by subpar stroll and strikeout charges of 6.8% and 30.9%. Over his profession, he would have his ups and downs, however his contributions principally took that form. He might put the ball over the fence, monitor it down together with his glove and swipe some luggage, however the plate self-discipline was by no means good.
Regardless of his flaws, he was a helpful participant for the Nats throughout their greatest stretch in Washington. The membership completed above .500 in every season from 2012 to 2019, making the playoffs in 5 of these eight seasons. These golf equipment featured stars like Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Trea Turner, Juan Soto, Max Scherzer, Anthony Rendon and others, however Taylor usually performed a strong supporting position.
In 2019, Taylor spent a good chunk of the 12 months within the minors, solely moving into 53 large league video games with one dwelling run. However he took on a extra distinguished position at simply the correct time. Because the Nats made a miracle cost via the postseason, Taylor received into eight of the membership’s playoff contests. He clinched the NLDS over the Dodgers with a diving catch, as seen on this video from MLB.com. He additionally slashed .333/.391/.619 in his 23 plate appearances because the Nats finally went on to win the World Collection.
Within the shortened 2020 season, Taylor had a tough exhibiting, slashing .196/.253/.424. On the finish of that marketing campaign, the Nats put him on waivers and he elected free company after clearing. That led to a one-year, $1.75MM cope with the Royals for 2021. He bounced again considerably that 12 months with a .244/.297/.356 line and 14 stolen bases. Because the season was winding down, the Royals didn’t need him to get away, so that they gave him a two-year, $9MM extension for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
He had a considerably related marketing campaign within the first 12 months of that extension however the Royals flipped him to the Twins for 2023. He hit a career-high 21 dwelling runs for Minnesota that 12 months but additionally struck out at a 33.5% price, resulting in a .220/.278/.442 batting line.
That was a comparatively sturdy marketing campaign for him however he remained unsigned into mid-March of 2024, when he settled for a one-year, $4MM cope with the Pirates. His 12 months in Pittsburgh turned out to be pretty forgettable, as he hit simply 5 dwelling runs and put up a .193/.253/.290 line. He then secured a one-year, $1.95MM deal to hitch the rebuilding White Sox this 12 months. With one sport remaining, he’s at present sporting a .199/.256/.366 line.
Taylor at present has 1,215 video games performed with 3,797 plate appearances, with yet another contest to go. He has 806 hits, together with 109 dwelling runs. He has drawn walks at a 6.9% clip and struck out 30.7% of the time, producing a .232/.287/.379 batting line. He stole 128 bases. He was credited with 90 Defensive Runs Saved and 61 Outs Above Common in his profession as an outfielder. For the 2014-2025 interval, that DRS complete was sixth amongst outfielders and his OAA tally was eighth. FanGraphs credited him with 10.2 wins above substitute. Baseball Reference gave him 12.6 WAR and pegs his profession earnings above $27MM.
We at MLB Commerce Rumors congratulate Taylor on a strong profession and want him the very best in no matter comes subsequent. He tells Golden that he plans to spend extra time together with his children however would think about a training position sooner or later.
Images courtesy of Geoff Burke, Steve Mitchell, Imagn Photographs
