Tyrone Taylor: Mets Outfielder (2024- 2025)
His mother Marisa was 14 years old when she gave birth to Tyrone. He began attending her high school softball games when he was three years old & gained a love for the game. In high school Taylor also played football as a running back.
Taylor was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2012 draft. He opted out of a commitment at Cal State Fullerton to play baseball instead of go to college.
In 2019 he was named the Brewers Minor League Player of the Month for August/September & was soon added to the Brewers roster. On September 7th he made his debut getting hit by a pitch in his first career at bat. The next day he drove in his first career run with an RBI single off the Cubs Duane Underwood.
In the Covid-shortened 2020 season, he played in 22 games & made his first post season, going 0-5 in two games of the NLWC loss to Atlanta.
In 2022 he became the Brew Crew's regular centerfielder, leading the NL with a .1000 fielding % not making an error all season. He also turned a league best three double plays in center. He also had five assists in center (3rd most in the NL). At bat he hit 17 HRs with 21 doubles batting .233 & striking out 102 times.
2023 Post Season- NLWC: In the NLWC loss to Arizona, Taylor hit a Game #1 two run HR off Brandon Pfaadt going 1-8 in the two games.
Mets Career: With former Brewers GM Davis Sterns now the GM of the Mets, it was no surprise he went after Taylor in the off season. Known for his good defense & occasional power with the bat, he was always a favorite of Sterns.
In December he & Adrian Houser came over in a trade with Milwaukee for Coleman Crow.
Walk Off Hit: On April 4th, Taylor played both ends of a double header at Citi Field with the Tigers.
In the first game he was 1-5 with three strike outs in the 6-3 eleven inning loss.
In the bottom of the 9th inning of the nightcap, with the Mets down 1-0, Pete Alonso tied the game with a lead off HR. Bret Baty then walked & was sacrificed over to second, with one out Taylor singled into left field off Alex Faedo scoring Baty with the winning run.
Multi- Three RBI Game: On April 24th, he hit his second HR of the season, a solo shot off the Giants Sean Hjelle in an 8-2 win in San Francisco. He later added a two run double for his third multi-RBI games of the season.
subway series blow out win at Citi Field. The three run HR was Tyrone's first HR in two months & his second multi- RBI game. The next night he homered off the Astros Ronel Blanco in a 7-2 Mets win for his fourth of the year.
Multi-Three Hit Game: In July Taylor had four multi-hit games. On July 24th, he hit his second subway series HR of the year, with a solo shot off Gerrit Cole in the 3rd inning. Taylor had his second three hit game of the season, with two more singles & another RBI in the 12-3 Mets blow out win in the Bronx.
Multi- Three RBI Game: On August 5th, in a 6-0 Mets Sean Manea (7 innings) Ryne Stanek (1) Edwin Diaz (1) shut out in St. Louis, Taylor led the scoring with a three run bases clearing double off Andre Pallante in the 5th inning. It was the fourth time he had three r more RBIs in a game in the season.
From September 11th to September 22nd, as the Mets stayed hot fighting for a playoff spot, Talor had his best stretch of the season.
On September 15th, he drove in the only run of the 2-1 loss in Philadelphia with a HR off Chrisopher Sanchez, then collected RBIs in back-to-back games in wins over the National's, with two hits in each game.
Taylor hit doubles in three straight games against the Nat's that week & had five doubles in the month. He had also hit five doubles in August & 12 of his 22 doubles on the season, came after July 28th.
Mets Clinch Playoff Berth: On September 30th, in the first game of a rescheduled double header in Atlanta, he Mets clinched a playoff spot with an 8-7 win. Taylor had two hits & scored the first run of the Mets six run 8th inning. After going ahead, Edwin Diaz blew the lead but Francisco Lindor's 9th inning two run HR proved to be the game winner.
On the 2024 season, Taylor played in 130 games, batting .248 with 79 hits 7 HRs a career high 22 doubles, three triples 47 runs scored & 35 RBIs.
He stole a career best 11 bases in 13 attempts, drew 19 walks posted a .299 on base % & .701 OPS in 319 at bats.
He played a fine defense at all three outfield positions, making just three errors for a .985 fielding % with three assists.
2024 NLDS: In the NLDS win over the Phillies Taylor got the start in three of the four games but collected just one hit in 11 at bats. In Game #4 at Citi Field, he singled off Carlos Estevez in the 6th inning & scored on Francisco Lindor's grand slam.
by Harrison Bader in the 9th inning for defense.
In the Game #3 loss at Citi Field, he made an outstanding sliding catch off a Tomy Edman drive at the warning track, while avoiding a collision with right fielder Starling Marte.
In the outfield, the fine defensive player has made just three errors in 707 chances, with a .996 fielding %, making 12 assists & turned 5 double plays.