Chris Taylor (baseball)

Amateur career

Taylor attended Great Neck Middle School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he was on the wrestling team, and won a city wrestling championship. When he attended Frank W. Cox High School, also in Virginia Beach, he stopped wrestling to focus on baseball. He was named the All-Tidewater region player of the year in 2009.

Taylor was recruited to play college baseball by the University of Virginia and the College of William & Mary. He chose to attend Virginia, and played college baseball for the Virginia Cavaliers baseball team, competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In his freshman year, Taylor played sparingly as Tyler Cannon, an All-ACC shortstop, received most of the playing time. In the summer of 2010, he played for the Newport Gulls of the NECBL. In his sophomore year, Stephen Bruno was named the Cavaliers' starting shortstop at the beginning of the season, and Taylor began the year as the teams' right fielder. Taylor became the starting shortstop when Bruno suffered a hamstring injury, and retained the job after Bruno recovered. In 2011, he hit a two-out, bases-loaded single to score the tying and winning runs in the decisive game of the Charlottesville Super Regional against UC Irvine and send the Cavaliers to the College World Series.

Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners selected Taylor in the fifth round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He began his professional career in Minor League Baseball at the Rookie-level, but was soon promoted to Class A. In 2013, Taylor played for the High Desert Mavericks of the Class A-Advanced California League and Jackson Generals of the Class AA Southern League, finishing the season with a combined .314 batting average, 165 hits (eight-best in Minor League Baseball), eight home runs, 60 runs batted in (RBIs), 108 runs scored, and 38 stolen bases. After the season, the Mariners assigned Taylor to the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League, and named him their minor league player of the year. He hit .294 with Peoria, and had a .351 on-base percentage.

The Mariners invited Taylor to spring training in 2014. Following Spring Training, he was assigned to the Tacoma Rainers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL). He appeared in the Triple-A All-Star Game, and was named the PCL's Top Star. After batting .328 with five home runs, 37 RBIs, and 63 runs scored in 75 games, the Mariners promoted Taylor to the major leagues on July 24 to replace the injured Willie Bloomquist who was placed on the 15-day disabled list. He collected his first major-league hit, a single, on the same day against the Baltimore Orioles.

During spring training in 2015, Taylor fractured his wrist when he was hit by a pitch. After he recovered from his injury, he began the 2015 Season with AAA Tacoma. He would have a stint with the Mariners later in the year, but was sent back to Tacoma after RHP Mayckol Guaipe was called up. On May 21, 2016 Chris was recalled from AAA Tacoma to replace the injured Ketel Marte.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On June 19, 2016, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Zach Lee. The Dodgers optioned him to the Oklahoma City Dodgers of the PCL. He was called up to the majors on June 25, 2016.

On July 15, 2016, Taylor hit his first major league career home run, a grand slam, off of Silvino Bracho of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also had a double, a triple, drove in six runs, and fell just short of hitting for the cycle. He was the third Dodgers player in history to have his first career homer be a grand slam (Preston Ward in 1948 and Chico Fernández in 1956) and the third Dodgers second baseman to have at least six RBI in a game (Billy Herman in 1943 and Jackie Robinson in 1949). He played in 34 games for the Dodgers, hitting .207.

Taylor did not make the club out of spring training and was assigned to Oklahoma City to begin the 2017 season. He was recalled to the Dodgers on April 19, 2017 On July 6, 2017 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Taylor hit his first career walk-off hit, driving in Logan Forsythe to win the game 5-4.

Personal life

Taylor's father, Chris Sr., and grandfather, Armand, attended Virginia Tech, where they competed on the wrestling team.