Michael A. Taylor joined the Minnesota Twins in January for two minor league players. So far, the Twins are benefitting from acquiring the Gold Glove winner.
Taylor has had some productive performances this month for the Twins, who are at the top of the AL Central standings.
With Twins star Byron Buxton on the injured list with a left rib contusion, Taylor has stepped up at the plate in Buxton’s absence.
During the month of June, Taylor is hitting over .300 and from June 8 to June 11, he has hit safely in those four games.
Taylor is a veteran with tons of experience, and he can provide value on the field and at the plate for any team he’s a part of.
The 32-year-old also knows what it’s like being a part of a World Series-winning team as he was a member of the 2019 Washington Nationals team that defeated the Houston Astros to win its first World Series in franchise history.
Defensively, Taylor is one of the best in the game when it comes to tracking balls in the outfield. This season he’s really stepped up on the offensive side and it is certainly paying off. On June 9 against the Toronto Blue Jays, Taylor had one of his best games of the season. Going into the game, the Twins had a five-game losing streak and needed to turn things around.
In the fifth inning, Taylor smacked a two-run homer and then had a sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th to give the Twins a 3-2 lead, which was the go ahead run as the Twins were able to secure the victory.
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) June 10, 2023
He singlehandedly won the game, as he drove in all three runs for Minnesota.
Twins manager was pleased with Taylor’s performance that game and has enjoyed having him on the team this season.
“He’s been so valuable for us,” Baldelli said in an article from mlb.com. “There’s no way around it. But the big swing today — he’s had a few of those. He’s gotten on top of some fastballs, but today he kind of dropped the barrel on that one and shoots it over the fence.”
Last year, Taylor had a productive season with the Kansas City Royals. He appeared in 124 games and hit .254 with nine homers and 43 RBI. It’s going to be a tight race in the AL Central and the Twins are looking to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
There’s no question that Taylor can play a key part for the Twins this season and he will continue to go out there each and every day and leave it all out on the field for his team.
MLBbro Michael A. Taylor has been a top acquisition for the Minnesota Twins, who are battling for first place in the AL Central division. Taylor, a centerfielder, has a six-game hitting streak, batting .429 with three Bro bombs.
LOS ANGELES – The Minnesota Twins have had a terrific start to their 2023 campaign, sitting at 6-3 atop the AL Central, and they have three bros to thank for much of that early success.
Byron Buxton: Saving Big Bux
Byron Buxton has been cooking on the offensive end to start the season. He’s been the team’s leadoff man in the last four games, where he’s been batting .324, with one home run, three RBI, an on-base percentage of .361, and a slugging percentage of .500. He’s also managed to score seven runs, which leads his team.
He’s not new to hot starts, just staying healthy. So Minnesota is taking calculated steps to minimize its franchise player’s potential for injury.
So far this season is that Buxton hasn’t played a single game in his usual centerfield position, as all eight of his games have been as the designated hitter.
Michael A. Taylor
Michael A. Taylor was traded over the offseason from their division rivals in the Kansas City Royals, and his impact has already been crucial. Taylor is not known for his bat, as he currently has a .194 batting average, and a career average of .241, but is known as one of MLB’s better outfielders, winning a Gold Glove back in 2021.
Taylor is an exceptional web master int he outfield with World Series cache, so his presence is why the Twins are more willing to play Buxton at DH, with manager Rocco Baldetti telling reporters during spring training that the plan is to ease Buxton into the outfield.
The team still gets a gold glover to captain centerfield and now have a chance to keep the face of the franchise healthy throughout the season.
Nick Gordon (Of Baseball’s Royal Gordon Family)
With Luis Arraez, who won the 2022 AL batting title, getting traded to the Marlins over the offseason, it meant that Nick Gordon would be relied on more heavily. The first-round pick back in 2014 had a very solid 2022 season, with a .272/.316/.427 slash line, to go with nine home runs and 50 RBI.
Gordon’s off to a slow start with the bat, as he has a .091 batting average. Even with his slump, Gordon adds so much value as he can play almost anywhere on the diamond. He played every position last season except for first base and right field, even logging in four games on the mound. This year, he’s played both second base and left field, continuing to have his versatility utilized.
The Twins play in one of the weaker divisions in the MLB, and they have a good amount of firepower in addition to the Bros, both at the plate, and on the mound. Plus, fellow MLBbro Royce Lewis, who was sensational in the 12 games he played last season, is expected to be back for the second half of the season. If all goes according to plan, Minnesota can be back playing October baseball and try to win a playoff series for the first time since 2002.
In offseason baseball news, World Series champion and outfielder Michael A. Taylor has been traded by the Kansas City Royals to the Minnesota Twins for pitching prospects Evan Sisk and Steven Cruz. This will be the third team for the World Series champion. He played the last two seasons with the Royals after seven with the Washington Nationals.
While being widely known as an immaculate defensive player, his .254/.313/.357 hitting slash with nine home runs and 43 RBI last season shows that his offense will be helpful for the Twins as well next year. MLBbro.com was monitoring his improvement on the offensive side last year starting with a hot start on opening day as MLBro.com content writer Malik Wright covers here…
Taylor is primarily a center fielder and a smart investment plan to back up fellow MLBbro Byron Buxton whose injuries have hampered him to the point that he has not played more than 92 games but once in his career. Michael A. Taylor’s presence will play a big part in the franchise’s overall resting program for Buxton which brought criticism from the fans last season.
Michael A. Taylor An All-Around Player
Taylor came into his own on offense back in 2017, hitting .271 with 19 dingers, knocking in 53 runs with an impressive OPS of .806. But his 2021 Gold Glove winning efforts gives Minnesota three outfielders on the roster with Gold Glove awards in Byron “Big Bux” Buxton (2017) and Joey Gallo (2020 and 2021).
Even though, reports consider Taylor a fourth outfielder and insurance policy for Buxton, we should see him plenty next season. He’s too good for the Twins to waste him on the bench. His ability to get a good read and jump on balls and be able to climb walls to rob extra base hits and homers placed him in the top five outfield assists in the AL during his time in Kansas City over two years.
The Minnesota Twins have acquired maybe the best under the radar acquisition so far this offseason.
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