40-man breakdown: Chris Taylor
(Editor’s Note: For the next few weeks, Dodger Insider will analyze a different member of the Dodgers’ 40-man roster every weekday. The series continues alphabetically with Chris Taylor.)
Position: IF/OF
Previous Years with Dodgers: Four
Age: 29
Contract: Signed through 2021
2019 Summary: One of the Dodgers’ most versatile players was again utilized in a number of ways, as Taylor played six different positions during a 2019 season that saw him slash .262/.333/.462 — all slight increases from his previous year. Most of Taylor’s time defensively came in left field (283 innings) and at shortstop (281 innings). Offensively, after a slow start in March and April, Taylor posted an .871 OPS from May 3 through the end of the year.
After playing his best baseball of the year in June (.312/.371/.570), Taylor fractured his left forearm when he was hit by a pitch on July 14 in Boston. He didn’t let it derail his season. From June 18 to Sept. 4, Taylor posted a .352/.414/.631 slash line. In 2019, he was particularly adept against left-handed pitchers (.859 OPS) and with runners in scoring position (.941).
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Best ’19 Moment: Taylor was in a groove at the plate prior to his forearm fracture, which made his return Aug. 20 so encouraging. In his first game back from injury, after missing just over a month, Taylor went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in a 16–3 win. Despite the lost time, Taylor still had an .864 OPS in August.
Standout Stat: Among Dodgers who played in at least 50 games at Dodger Stadium last year, Chris Taylor ranked third on the club with an .874 home OPS. He had a .712 OPS on the road.
Statcast Stat: Taylor had a .647 batting average and 1.235 OPS on pitches down and in inside the zone. He also had a batting average of .372 or better in each of the three middle zones of the plate.
Interesting Fact: Taylor was inducted into the University of Virginia Baseball Hall of Fame this offseason. He led the ACC in runs scored in 2011, the same year he set the school record with 285 at-bats in a season.
Where He Stands: With 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts joining a group that includes 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger, manager Dave Roberts will have his hands full splitting up playing time among one of the deepest outfield units in baseball (which also includes AJ Pollock, Joc Pederson, Kiké Hernández and Taylor, among others). Still, despite not always playing one primary position, Taylor tends to find a way to make his presence felt. The 2017 NLCS MVP has played in at least 124 games each of the last three seasons for the Dodgers, and that’s while missing time with the fractured forearm last season. He started at shortstop while Corey Seager was out in 2018, he made 30 starts apiece at shortstop and left field last year and his ability to play just about anywhere — and fill in admirably as a starter if someone goes down — should again make him a valuable piece in 2020.
Past Breakdowns:
Scott Alexander
Pedro Báez
Austin Barnes
Matt Beaty
Cody Bellinger
Mookie Betts
Walker Buehler
Caleb Ferguson
Dylan Floro
Tony Gonsolin
Victor Gonzalez
Brusdar Graterol
Kiké Hernández
Kenley Jansen
Joe Kelly
Clayton Kershaw
Adam Kolarek
Gavin Lux
Dustin May
Zach McKinstry
Max Muncy
Jimmy Nelson
Joc Pederson
DJ Peters
Luke Raley
Edwin Ríos
Keibert Ruiz
Dennis Santana
Josh Sborz
Ross Stripling
