Despite having a top-10 payroll and possessing a proven, experienced position-player core, the San Diego Padres struggled mightily offensively for the first two months of the season. But ever since they recalled Samad Taylor in early June, San Diego has been a top-five offense in many categories, and the 28-year-old utility man is a big reason why.
Back in January, Taylor signed a minor-league deal with the Padres after the Seattle Mariners designated him for assignment. He didn’t make the club out of Spring Training, but showed in the minors that he would be ready when called upon. In 60 games with Triple-A El Paso, Taylor slashed .307/.397/.482 with eight homers, three triples, and 10 stolen bases.
So when he was called up on June 3, Taylor hit the ground running. For a group that needed bat-to-ball skills, athleticism, energy, and speed, he provided it all no matter where manager Craig Stammen placed him in the lineup. Overall, Taylor is hitting .343 with an .862 OPS this season. He has consistently produced in the big leagues, even while missing nearly two months with an oblique strain.
Taylor has recorded a hit in 31 of his 42 games and has notched 12 multi-hit days. His skill set lets him either get on base at the top of the order or serve as a secondary tablesetter at the bottom of the lineup. Taylor has already surpassed his previous 38 career MLB games, which spanned the last three seasons.
Originally a 2016 10th-round pick by Cleveland, Taylor has had a tumultuous journey while pursuing his MLB dream. The then-Indians traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays, and it took Taylor a while to adjust to professional pitching at A-ball.
When the COVID pandemic axed the 2020 minor league season, Taylor stayed fresh by playing in the Australian Baseball League for a few months. He was promoted to Double-A Dunedin in 2021 and hit .294 with 16 homers and 30 stolen bases. Continuing to sharpen his skills, Taylor went to the Dominican Winter League after his strong season and began the next year at Triple-A.
After a solid start in the junior circuit, Taylor’s season was derailed due to injury. At that year’s trade deadline, the Blue Jays shipped him to the Kansas City Royals in a package for Whit Merrifield. He made his major-league debut with the Royals the following June, notching a walk-off RBI single in his first game.
Taylor went back and forth between the majors and Triple-A in 2023, before the Royals traded him to the Mariners in 2024. In two years in the Mariners organization, Taylor appeared in just seven MLB games, as he couldn’t earn sufficient opportunities despite producing at Triple-A.
Despite Taylor’s rocky road, he is in position to be on the Padres’ playoff roster as a key auxiliary player. With elite speed, strong contact skills, and the versatility to play the corner outfield spots and second base, Taylor can make game-changing plays during San Diego’s postseason run. And if he sustains this level of play the rest of the year, Taylor could earn a bigger role on a big-league roster in the future.
