Going into the 2017 season, not many people outside of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization knew who Chris Taylor was. But throughout the course of the season, it did not take long for people to find out.
Taylor was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for former first-round pick Zach Lee in 2016 and appeared briefly for the Dodgers that season.
He had an opportunity to compete for a spot on the big league roster this past Spring Training, and despite a strong spring in which he hit .354/.483/.500 in 22 games, he lost out on a roster spot to Kiké Hernandez and began the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
It did not take long for him to find his way onto the big league roster though, as he was called up on April 19 and was never sent back down.
Taylor’s ability to play three infield positions and him learning the outfield as quick as he did, in addition to him having a career season at the plate due to some mechanical changes, led to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts not having a choice but to put Taylor in the line-up every day.
Whether it be at shortstop, second base, third base, left field or center field, Taylor filled in wherever needed and eventually became the team’s everyday leadoff hitter and center fielder as Dodger fans watched a star develop before their eyes.
In 140 games for the Dodgers, Taylor hit .288/.354/.496 with 21 home runs, 72 RBIs, 85 runs scored and 17 stolen bases in 21 opportunities.
But still, even after his strong season, Taylor was relatively unknown outside the city of Los Angeles going into the postseason. And again, that quickly changed.
In 15 postseason games, Taylor slashed .254/.380/.508 with three home runs, seven RBIs and 12 runs scored. He was named a co-MVP of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs along with Justin Turner.
2017 Highlight:
Taylor had so many memorable moments in 2017, perhaps more than anyone else on the team. He hit his first career walk-off on July 6 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he hit what ended up being the game-winning home run in Game 1 of the NLCS off Cubs reliever Hector Rondon, and he also hit a game-tying single in Game 5 of the World Series against the Houston Astros with his team down to its final strike.
But perhaps no highlight of Taylor’s was more memorable than when he stepped up to the plate against Dallas Keuchel in Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
As a leadoff hitter, Taylor usually takes a few pitches to work the count. But not this time as Taylor launched the first pitch of the World Series three-quarters of the way up the left field bleachers, giving his team a 1-0 lead in a game they wound up winning 3-1.
2018 Outlook:
Taylor very much figures into the Dodgers plans in 2018, but where he will play is currently unknown. The most likely outcome is that he once again is the team’s everyday center fielder and leadoff hitter, but his versatility allows him to play just about anywhere on the diamond so he could see some time at second base and left field as well.
