Pirates Notebook: Michael A. Taylor making a good first impression
One of the final moves the Pittsburgh Pirates made last offseason was signing Michael A. Taylor to a one-year deal. Through seven games, Taylor has been a perfect fit and quickly become a fan favorite on an up and coming Pirates team.
As the Pirates have gotten off to a 6-1 start, Taylor has been at the center of their success. The Fort Lauderdale native has posted a .480 batting in 25 at-bats and driven in six runs. He has been an on-base machine, adding three multi-hit games to his resume.
While the sample size is small, Taylor has been a spark plug for a highly productive Pirates offense. That was on display against the Nationals. The veteran outfielder reached base in eight out of 12 at-bats in the series. Due to his play, it has been hard for Pirates manager Derek Shelton to keep Taylor out of the lineup.
Although Taylor is still searching for his first home run, he has put together good at-bats on a nightly basis, making facing the bottom part of the Pirates lineup harder. The power will come as Taylor is less than one season removed from hitting a career-high 21 home runs for the Twins in 129 games. His impact, however, does not only lie in his bat.
Part of the reason the Pirates signed Taylor was his impressive resume defensively. He won a Gold Glove in 2019 and can play all three outfield positions. In 50 innings of work during the 2024 campaign, the former sixth-round pick has added 12 putouts to his resume. Due to his elite defense, Taylor is a valuable piece regardless of the opponent.
Despite his impressive start, Taylor will not hit .480 all season. At one point, he will cool off at the plate, but it is hard to imagine his Pirates career getting off to a better start. On a team looking to surprise the baseball world, Taylor has been a perfect fit.