Michael A. Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Michael A. Taylor |
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Taylor with the Washington Nationals in 2018
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| Free agent | |||
| Center fielder | |||
| Born: March 26, 1991 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 12, 2014, for the Washington Nationals | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) |
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| Batting average | .235 | ||
| Home runs | 100 | ||
| Runs batted in | 353 | ||
| Stolen bases | 120 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Michael Anthony Taylor (born March 26, 1991) is an American baseball player who plays as a center fielder. He is currently a free agent, meaning he can sign with any team. He has played for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), including the Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Nationals picked him in the 2009 draft. He started playing in the MLB in 2014 and was part of the team that won the 2019 World Series. In 2021, he won a special award called the Gold Glove Award for his amazing fielding skills.
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Early Life and Baseball Start
Michael Taylor was born on March 26, 1991. His parents were in the military. His father, Anthony Taylor, worked in logistics for the U.S. Army for 22 years. Michael has four older sisters.
He went to Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. There, he played on the school's baseball team. One of his teammates was Matt den Dekker, who he would later play with on the Washington Nationals.
Baseball Career
Starting with the Nationals (2009–2013)
The Washington Nationals chose Michael Taylor in the sixth round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. He decided to play professional baseball instead of going to the University of North Florida.
When he first started in 2010, Taylor played different positions in the infield, like shortstop, second base, and third base. He made some errors while learning these spots.
In late 2010, Taylor changed his main position to center fielder. This change helped him a lot. He played as an outfielder for different minor league teams, like the Hagerstown Suns and the Potomac Nationals. His hitting also got much better. In 2013, he hit .263 with 10 home runs for the Potomac Nationals. This earned him the team's Player of the Year award.
The Nationals added Taylor to their main roster on November 20, 2013. At that time, experts thought he was one of the team's top young players.
Major League Debut (2014)
Michael Taylor was called up to the Major League Baseball team on August 10, 2014. Just two days later, on August 12, he played his first MLB game against the New York Mets. In that game, he got his first major league hit and even hit his first home run!
He went back to the minor leagues for a short time but was called back up in September. On September 28, 2014, he was playing center field when his teammate Jordan Zimmermann threw the first no-hitter in Nationals history.
First Full Seasons (2015–2016)
Taylor started the 2015 season as the Nationals' starting center fielder. This happened because the regular starter, Denard Span, was injured. On May 13, 2015, Taylor hit his first career grand slam! This big hit helped the Nationals win the game.
Later that season, on August 20, he hit one of the longest home runs in MLB that year, traveling 493 feet. On September 4, he hit a three-run home run that won the game for the Nationals in the final inning. He finished the 2015 season with 14 home runs and 16 stolen bases.
In the 2016 season, Taylor again became a regular player early on due to another injury to the starting center fielder. However, he had some tough games. On June 22, he had a very difficult game with five strikeouts and a fielding error that cost the Nationals the game. He spent some time back in the minor leagues that year.
Key Moments and World Series Win (2017–2020)
The 2017 season started with Taylor as a backup player. But once again, the starting center fielder, Adam Eaton, got injured. This gave Taylor a chance to play every day. He played very well, hitting .290 in May and June.
On September 8, 2017, Taylor hit an inside-the-park grand slam. This means he hit the ball and ran around all the bases to score a home run without the ball leaving the field. He also had a great game overall, driving in five runs and helping his team win. He finished the 2017 season with 19 home runs and 17 stolen bases.
In the playoffs that year, Taylor hit a grand slam in Game 4 against the Chicago Cubs. This was the first grand slam in Nationals playoff history and helped them avoid being eliminated.
In 2018, Taylor had some ups and downs with his hitting. He also lost some playing time because other strong players like Juan Soto were doing very well.
The 2019 World Series was a huge moment for Taylor and the Nationals. In Game 2, Taylor hit a solo home run in his very first World Series at-bat. This was a special achievement. The Nationals went on to win the World Series that year, making Taylor a champion.
After the shortened 2020 season, Taylor became a free agent.
Kansas City Royals (2021–2022)
On November 30, 2020, Michael Taylor signed a contract with the Kansas City Royals. In 2021, he played a career-high 142 games. He hit 12 home runs and had 54 RBIs.
His defense was outstanding that year. He won a Gold Glove Award and a Fielding Bible Award for being the best center fielder. He led all American League center fielders in assists and had a very high fielding percentage. Because of his great play, he signed a new two-year contract with the Royals.
In 2022, Taylor continued to play well for the Royals, appearing in 124 games.
Minnesota Twins (2023)
On January 23, 2023, the Royals traded Taylor to the Minnesota Twins. He played for the Twins for one season before becoming a free agent again.
Pittsburgh Pirates (2024)
On March 16, 2024, Taylor signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played in 113 games for the Pirates, hitting five home runs and stealing 12 bases. He was released by the Pirates in September 2024.
Personal Life
Michael Taylor is married to his wife, Brianna.
