Not many Major League Baseball players can say they won both a Gold Glove and a World Series title. On Sunday, the sport lost one of those players.
Ex-Kansas City Royals and current Chicago White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor announced his intention to retire before the final game of the season on Sunday.
The 12-year veteran played for five major league teams, including the Royals in 2021 and 2022. He won the 2021 Gold Glove for the center field position in the American League, and had his two most productive seasons in KC in terms of wins above replacement.
Fittingly, Taylor played his final game at Nationals Park, six years after winning his lone World Series title with the Washington Nationals.
“(My wife and I) agree that it’s best to maybe spend a little bit more time at home with the family, and I’m excited about that,” Taylor said, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “And I think to be able to play my last games of my career here in this ballpark in front of these fans is just the icing on the cake.”
In 1,216 games in the big leagues, Taylor slashed .232/.288/.379, with 109 home runs, 128 stolen bases, 388 RBIs, and 427 runs scored. Per Baseball Reference, he racked up just 2.8 offensive WAR in his career, but an impressive 11.4 defensive WAR.
Taylor’s two seasons in Kansas City may be forgotten because of how bad the team was, but he played some absolutely spectacular defense in Kauffman Stadium. totaling 5.2 dWAR, 42 defensive runs saved, and 19 outs above average.
After playing his first seven seasons with the Washington Nationals and his next two with the Royals, Taylor finished his career with stints for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and White Sox.
All of baseball salutes Taylor on an impressive career, and although he was never anything close to a star, he can walk away from the game with a ring on his finger, which every player dreams of wearing someday.
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