When the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Chris Taylor from the Seattle Mariners in June 2016, the focus was on the organization at last moving on from pitching prospect Zach Lee. A first-round pick in 2010 Draft, Lee had yet to reach any expectations.
Taylor joined the Dodgers as a light-hitting utility player who didn’t figure to make much of an impact. That quickly changed, however, as he emerged as a the team’s everyday center fielder last season.
Gone are the days where Taylor would spell Corey Seager at shortstop, or Justin Turner at third base. Not only has he made a smooth transition to playing center field, Taylor cemented himself as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter.
But it was his play in the field on Tuesday night that had everyone buzzing. Two batters after Kenley Jansen’s struggles led to his surrendering a home run to Eric Hosmer, the Dodgers’ closer was nearly taken deep for a game-tying home run.
But Taylor went back to the wall in center field to make a leaping catch, robbing San Diego Padres rookie Christian Villanueva of a fourth home run in as many games. While spectacular, Taylor largely described the catch as more routine than one might think, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“Honestly, luckily, we were playing no doubles, so I was a little deeper. The ball hung up there for a little bit, so I just tried to get back to the wall as quick as I could and time my jump to catch it at the peak. If I hit the wall, I hit the wall. That was just my main focus, try to get back there and catch it at the peak of my jump. I had it pretty good the whole way in. I thought I did a good job of timing my jump, to where I didn’t hit the wall going up or anything.”
Taylor’s catch potentially prevented the Padres from walking-off the Dodgers, as they tied the game later in the inning on Jansen. But Los Angeles was saved by Yasmani Grandal, who pulled a go-ahead two-run double down the left-field line in the 12th inning.
