After an eventful recent period, Chris Taylor has formally declared the end of his professional career.
Friday saw the news of Taylor’s professional exit emerge via the MiLB transactions registry. At the time, he was active with the Los Angeles Angels’ Triple-A Salt Lake team. However, within a single day, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com announced that Taylor had reversed his decision regarding retirement. Instead, he was then moved to the Minor League injured list due to a broken forearm.
Nonetheless, on Sunday, Taylor resolved the ambiguity surrounding his professional trajectory, confirming his definitive retirement following a dozen seasons at the major league level.
“To clarify any misunderstanding, I have now made the firm choice to step away from the sport to which I’ve committed my whole existence,” Taylor communicated on Instagram. “My deepest appreciation goes to every coach and fellow player, and to the teams that enabled me to fulfill my aspirations from youth.”
Taylor went on to commend the bonds he formed during his time in the major leagues and expressed gratitude to his supporters. Subsequently, he acknowledged his family and spouse, mentioning his anticipation for the upcoming phase of his existence alongside them and their offspring.
During the current season, Taylor achieved batting statistics of .255 for average, .382 for on-base percentage, and .321 for slugging percentage, including seven two-base hits across 132 opportunities at bat.
The initial news of Taylor’s retirement proved to be authentic. This was not merely publicized by the league itself but also recognized across social media platforms by Major League Baseball, leading to numerous commendations for his achievements from both supporters and journalists.
His most impactful season occurred in 2017, where he recorded a .288 batting average, .354 on-base percentage, and .496 slugging percentage, along with 21 long balls, 34 two-baggers, 72 runs batted in, and 17 successful base thefts. Demonstrating his career-long versatility, Taylor took various positions for the Dodgers during that campaign, participating in 49 contests in center field, 48 in left field, 22 at second base, 14 at shortstop, and eight at the hot corner.
Originating from Virginia, he was chosen in the fifth round of the 2012 draft by the Seattle Mariners, spending three years with the team prior to his 2016 trade to the Dodgers in exchange for hurler Zach Lee. Taylor continued with the Dodgers for the subsequent decade, extending his contract as a free agent until his eventual release early in the 2025 season. Subsequently, Taylor joined the Angels, appearing in 30 matchups and achieving a .179 batting average, .278 on-base percentage, and .321 slugging percentage.
A particularly memorable instance from Taylor’s tenure with the Dodgers is undoubtedly his game-winning, sudden-death homer against Alex Reyes of the St. Louis Cardinals, securing victory in the 2021 National League wild-card contest.
Across eight playoff appearances, Taylor registered a .247 batting average, an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .792, 13 two-base hits, 9 long balls, and 26 runs batted in. This tally encompasses the 2017 National League Championship Series, where he was a co-recipient of MVP accolades alongside Justin Turner, batting .316 with a 1.248 OPS and two round-trippers.
The most recent period contributes a further noteworthy entry to the versatile player’s career record. However, at present, it seems the thirty-five-year-old has concluded his time on the baseball field.
