Is that Chris Taylor? A friend sent me a message during the 2017 World Series. My friend is a big fan of the Seattle Mariners and he heard of him when Taylor was playing for the Mariners. However, while playing for the Mariners, Taylor’s performance wasn’t so impressive. Nonetheless, things have become different since he was traded to the Dodgers in 2016.
Well, Chris Taylor was released by the Dodgers this May. However, during his career with the Dodgers, he played 1007 games, hitting .250/.330/.431 with 108 home runs and 423 RBI. And he actually played a key role in the Dodgers franchise history. Why?
Looking at the stats from 2017 to 2024, Chris Taylor collected 700+ hits for the Dodgers. Justin Turner played for the Dodgers from 2014 to 2022. From 2017 to 2022, Turner had 700+ hits in the Dodgers uniform. Moreover, Cody Bellinger had 652 hits when he played for the Dodgers.
Meanwhile, Max Muncy crushed 190 home runs from 2018 to 2024. Cody Bellinger had 152 home runs in the Dodgers uniform. Mookie Betts smashed 132 home runs from 2020 to 2024. And Will Smith had 111 home runs from 2019 to 2024. Chris Taylor isn’t known for his power. But he can still crush baseball. From 2017 to 2024, Chris Taylor blasted 107 home runs.
In addition, Max Muncy collected 520 RBI from 2018 to 2024. Cody Bellinger had 422 RBI from 2017 to 2022. Chris Taylor did help the Dodgers drive in runs. From 2017 to 2024, Taylor collected 414 RBI. Moreover, Justin Turner collected 381 RBI for the Dodgers from 2017 to 2022 and Will Smith had 381 RBI for the team from 2019 to 2024.
Finally, it’s worthwhile to mention his performance in the postseason. Many Dodgers fans surely remember his walk-off home run against the Cardinals in the 2021 National League Wild Card game. In the postseason, Chris Taylor slashed .247/.351/.441 with 9 home runs and 26 RBI. And it seems that he likes to hit in the NLCS. In the 2017 NLCS, Chris Taylor and Justin Turner were co-MVPs. In that series, Taylor batted .316/.458/.789 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI in 5 games. In the 2018 NLCS, Chris Taylor collected 8 hits in 7 games and his OPS was over .900. Well, his OPS was below .700 in the 2020 NLCS. Nonetheless, in the 2021 NLCS, he was outstanding. Chris Taylor slashed .476/.542/1.048 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI. And last year, his OPS was over .800 in the NLCS.
It's reasonable to see the Dodgers front office make the decision to release Chris Taylor since he struggled at the offense in these 2 seasons. Nonetheless, looking back at his time with the Dodgers, he surely had played an important role in the Dodgers. He became an All-Star as a Dodger. He contributed to the team in the regular season and postseason. The walk-off home run in the 2021 Wild Card game will still be replayed many times. And his performance in the NLCS is surely unforgettable.
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