'Defense doesn't slump,' as Taylor's glove gives Bucs golden results

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

TORONTO -- Michael A. Taylor is locked in on the pitcher from center field, looking at the ball in his hand. As the pitcher goes into his windup, Taylor’s attention turns to the batter. How is his body positioned? What are his batted-ball tendencies? As the ball is in flight toward the plate, he’s ready to jump in case the ball is put in play.

So much of Taylor’s focus is on that first jump. He’s fast, but he doesn’t have elite Oneil Cruz or Ji Hwan Bae speed. He knows that a good jump could be the difference between a catch and a hit -- and if he can glean anything about the hitter or his pitcher before the pitch is thrown, it can help ensure that his first step toward the ball is a good one.

“I’m coming up with an educated guess of where he’s going to hit it,” Taylor said. “At the same time, I’m reading what’s in front of me and not just anticipating.”

It’s a meticulous approach that has helped Taylor become one of the game’s best defenders. It’s repetition, too. That thought process was what goes through his mind when shagging batting practice before the game.

Taylor is one of the game’s most valuable defenders this season, ranking in the 99th percentile of players with seven fielding runs, according to Baseball Savant, and tying for fifth in defensive runs saved with seven. It’s a remarkably well-rounded defensive game, too.

Six of Taylor’s seven fielding runs are attributed to his range, according to Baseball Savant. His 101.3 mph throw home against the Cubs on May 18 is the third-hardest thrown ball by a position player this year. And those jumps that he dedicates so much time to working on? He averages 1.9 more feet covered in his initial jump than the average outfielder.

“I don’t think there’s anything that he doesn’t do metrically well,” manager Derek Shelton said. “Jumps, reads, breaks. He goes to the wall well, he comes in. … It’s why, when you look at his glove, it’s got gold on it.”

There’s a reason why Taylor already has a Gold Glove to his name, and why he’s off to a good start to compete for another in 2024. It’s also the reason why he’s still provided value to his new club despite a poor offensive showing thus far.

When the Pirates signed Taylor as a free agent in March, they were drawn to his glove work and the fact he hit 21 home runs for the Twins in 2023. The defense has been as advertised, but so far, he has hit just .203 with a .512 OPS and one home run.

Taylor wants to contribute more offensively, and Shelton is encouraged by the work his center fielder is putting in behind the scenes to try to get back on track with the bat. But even with his hitting numbers, according to Baseball Reference, Taylor’s 0.5 WAR is right in line with the average player given his playing time.

Taylor has had peaks and valleys as a hitter, often fluctuating from year to year. But growing up, he was told, “defense doesn’t slump.”

“Being able to contribute defensively saves me a lot of days,” Taylor said. “Hitting can ebb and flow at times. It is nice that I have the ability and the opportunity to contribute day in and day out.”

That goes against the grain with how the game is played more today. A rise in three true outcome events (strikeouts, walks, home runs) over the past decades has resulted in fewer balls put in play. But that doesn’t mean defense is less valuable now. A run saved defensively is theoretically as valuable as one created offensively.

“I’ve seen the game change in a way where offense is weighed so much more than defense,” Taylor said. “You see a lot of corner guys now playing center field or guys moving out of the infield, out of their natural position, just to put together the best offensive lineup. The game is changing.”

If Taylor can get right offensively, it would be a huge boost for a lineup that needs more contributors. Until then, he’s excelling in the area where he doesn’t slump.