NEW YORK – Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor calls himself Baseball’s No. 1 fan. When he is not playing, Taylor is arguably the loudest in the dugout. There he is rooting for his teammates to be successful in every aspect of the game.

“I’m thankful to be out here,” Taylor told MLBbro.com. “I don’t know. I’m just out there being myself.”      

When he is playing, Taylor is the best defensive player in the outfield. On Tuesday, for example, he deked Kyle Schwarber into believing he wasn’t going to catch a lazy fly ball hit by Nick Castellanos. But Taylor easily made the catch and threw a strike to first baseman Pete Alonso to double off Schwarber. 

 

Taylor is not the superstar like Alonso, Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor. But, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, Taylor is easy to root for because he is always ready to play when called upon and knows his role on the team. 

 

 

Taylor Is The Ultimate Professional 

“He’s going to be prepared,” Mendoza said. “He is going to do his homework. If you need him in the seventh or eighth inning for an at-bat, he is going to be ready. When he is in there as a pinch-runner or a defensive replacement, he will be ready. This is a guy that pulls for everyone. He gets a lot of respect in this organization. He is a special player, but he is a special human being.”

Taylor didn’t know what to expect after New York acquired his services from the Brewers before the 2024 season. The only thing he knew about New York was that David Stearns was the head of baseball operations. Taylor and Stearns worked together in similar roles in Milwaukee. 

Mets Have Best Record in Baseball With Tyrone Taylor Starting In CF

But since becoming a member of the Amazin’ Mets, Taylor has played a huge role in the winning culture. He started the ‘24 season as New York’s fourth outfielder. By the second half, however, he became a regular in the outfield and had a slash line of .277/.338/.415 after the All-Star break. Mendoza started him at every outfield position, but Taylor took over the center-field job from Harrison Bader by the end of the season.  The ‘23 Mets went as far as the National League Championship series before losing to the Dodgers in six games.

Taylor is still the starting centerfielder, and the Mets have the best record in baseball entering Friday’s action against the Nationals. Taylor is the first to tell you that he has to do better in the batter’s box after striking out four times on Wednesday against the Phillies.      

“That is pretty cool,” Taylor said about winning on a consistent basis. “I remember at the time, I didn’t know what to think at all. The Brewers were the only team I played for. But since I’ve been here, I’m extremely thankful to experience this big market, playing with such great teammates, learning from the coaching staff, watching MVP seasons and an unreal pitching staff. Being a part of it has been an honor. It’s been fun.”

A California native, Taylor loves the Big Apple – off the field. His favorite place to eat is Family Corner, a restaurant in Astoria, Queens. He loves their banana pancakes.    

“It’s like a completely different world out here, especially going into the city,” Taylor said. “There is always something to do. Food is always open late, and the fans are great. It’s a cool place to be.”