Tyrone Taylor stays ready to help Mets win, no matter his role
When Tyrone Taylor made the Mets’ Opening Day roster, the 30-year-old wasn’t expected to contribute too much offensively to the team. But after Wednesday’s 9-1 win over the Pirates, the perception of the outfielder might have to change.
On Wednesday, Taylor had three hits but it was his two-run single in the sixth that has garnered attention.
With two outs and the Mets holding on to a 2-1 lead, Taylor -- who got the start and appeared in just his 15th game of the season -- poked a 95 mph fastball up the middle to open up the scoring,
The Mets would go on to score two more runs but manager Carlos Mendoza called the moment “huge.”
“The one thing I like about Taylor is he’s ready to play all the time,” the first-year skipper said after the game. “As a manager, you know he’s ready to play in any situation. And we saw it from the beginning of spring training."
“I’m just thankful to be up here with this group every day no matter what my role is,” Taylor said. “I try to stay ready as if I’m going to play every day. That’s the mindset I have to keep and do what I have to do.”
Taylor spent his first five seasons with the Brewers and he appeared in more than 80 games in three of those years. So while his bench role doesn’t come as much of a surprise to Taylor, he’s used that experience to become a hidden weapon off the bench.
In his last two games, the outfielder is 4-for-6 with two RBI but Mendoza says he’s confident going to Taylor whether it’s off the bench or as a starter, and he believes this recent string is sustainable.
“He’s short to the ball and he’s ready to hit the fastball,” Mendoza explained. “You have to be able to hit the fastball and we saw that in spring training and here he is. I like the at-bats and I see a good hitter at the plate right now.”
Taylor is a career .244 hitter, but after Wednesday’s game is hitting at a .341 clip. The California native credits the constant adjustments he’s made in the offseason to his approach to start this season, including using the lower half of his body to drive pitches.
“I just try to be my best self every day. I work hard in practice. I have a game plan and I’m consistent with my work,” he said. “I have the mindset of getting better every day.”
Taylor's contributions are just one of many reasons the Mets are on their current hot streak. New York has won nine of their last 12 games and is a season-high two games above .500.
After a 0-5 start, all the winning of late has been contagious and according to Taylor has created a different mindset in the locker room.
“We have a great group in here. We have a fun time playing for each other,” Taylor said. “That creates a winning mentality. It’s cool to see us get some wins lately.”
The Mets look to continue their winning ways this weekend when they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers for a three-game set.