Chris Taylor’s adjustments at the batting cage have led to a major comeback last month – Dodgers Digest

Chris Taylor has been a staple of Dodgers baseball since his groundbreaking 2017 season, which culminated in sending the first pitch Dallas Keuchel threw the 2017 World Series into the left-field stands and sent Dodgers Stadium into an uproar. His 2024 season, however, began in a manner that was disappointing, to say the least. Through June 6, Taylor had posted a seemingly impossible -2 wrC+, a stat line where the league average is 100. His more traditional stats reflected a similar lack of productivity, as Taylor batted .095/.198/.107 for a .305 OPS. Even in a season where offensive production has dropped off across the league, this abysmal performance is cause for debate about his place on the team. So why didn’t the Dodgers throw Taylor out? Why did they let him take strikeouts over and over again countless times while even Taylor’s more loyal fans (including this writer) groaned?

One reason for this is likely his career record to date. Acquired in a then-forgettable trade with the Mariners, Taylor reinvented his swing with the Dodgers, becoming a regular during the 2017 season and posting a career wrC+ of 106. This above-average offensive output, combined with his ability to play almost any position except pitcher and catcher, made him an incredibly valuable asset to the Dodgers’ recent run of success, earning him a contract through 2025. Additionally, Taylor was often an inconsistent player, known for shining in key moments and putting together incredible winning streaks, but also prone to confusing runs where he looked completely lost. While Taylor’s performance, or lack thereof, certainly reached a point where his versatility became negligible, the Dodgers also believed in Taylor’s ability to adapt and find his swing again, and worked with him behind the scenes throughout the season.

That’s exactly why I chose June 6 as the end point for Taylor’s season, because that’s when Joe Davis reported on the SportsNet LA broadcast that the Dodgers felt they had hit a breakthrough in Taylor’s swing. I was skeptical, like many others, but the results since then are undeniable. In all games after June 6 — roughly a month of baseball — Chris Taylor has posted a wrC+ of 159 and his traditional slash line for that time period is .255/.397/.510 with an OPS of .910. Those are numbers that not only justify a roster spot, but over a full season would warrant All-Star consideration. More than just results: Before that point, he had a 9.3 BB% and a whopping 39.2 K%, while now he has 19.0 BB% and 22.2 K%, which is a significant turnaround. And his numbers aren’t due to luck either, as he only managed a .294 BABIP during that time, even though his hard hit% rose from 18.8% to 43.2%.

Of course, this is a small sample size, only about 20 games, but the change in Taylor’s performance is so drastic that, when combined with the reported swing adjustments at the start of this sample, it’s hard to ignore.

Taylor himself has confirmed that he feels comfortable at bat again.

“I feel like my technique is at a point where I can take the approach I’ve wanted to take the last few years,” Taylor said. “I’ve always thought about hitting the ball to midfield. That puts me in a position to do anything in some ways. Before the last couple of weeks, when I thought about it, I was inferior and I was missing. Now I’m at a point where I feel like I can go back to that approach and feel like myself.”
“It was a process. For me, it was more about the quality of the at-bats and getting the ball forward. That was encouraging – not just today, but also in the last few weeks.”

While Taylor is unlikely to be as far above his career stats for the remainder of the 2024 season, he is now a viable option for Dave Roberts and the Dodgers can use him as a substitute, which combined with his versatility on defense once again makes him an extremely valuable player for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

For example with Max Muncy Dave Roberts has announced that Chris Taylor, who is on the perpetual injured list, will be given more playing time at third base, something that likely wouldn’t have been possible had Taylor not been able to make adjustments and find his offensive groove again. Through grit, perseverance and steady work, Chris Taylor has rewarded the Dodgers’ faith, revived his season and set himself up for more iconic October moments.

Editor’s note: Welcome Sam to the team, you Gremlins.