Is Dodgers all-rounder Chris Taylor on the verge of a turnaround?

Lost in the fray of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 10-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday was Chris Taylor’s strong performance. The all-rounder delivered a 2-for-3 performance, including a home run in the fifth inning and a walk.

Taylor was not only the Dodgers’ worst hitter in 2024, he was one of the league worst. There are 365 hitters with at least 100 at-bats so far. Taylor’s wRC+ of 52 ranks 343rd. His average (.164) ranks 357th. His strikeout rate is 34.1 percent, the 13th highest. He has also provided very little power with a measly ISO of .091.

Virtually nothing has gone right for Taylor this season. That much is clear. Less obvious is the reason why. He made some mechanical adjustments earlier in the year that likely set him back. However, it’s worth noting that he was still making contact and going at a pace similar to his career norms. He just wasn’t able to make quality contact.

In fact, a HardHit% below 22 is the worst mark of Taylor’s Dodger career. This was certainly a factor in leading to a meager .242 batting average on balls in play. However, it seems that further mechanical adjustments (discussed on Sunday’s Dodger broadcast) could help him turn things around for the better.

Sunday’s multi-hit game was Taylor’s second of the season. Both of his hits have come in his last four starts. Each of his two home runs has come in his last six. Since mid-June, Taylor has made nine appearances, and in seven of them he has had at least one hit. The only ones in which he has not had a hit were at-bat appearances where he was a pinch hitter.

This gave Taylor a batting average of .278 and an on-base percentage of .333 in June. His wRC+ for the month was 143. He also reduced his K% almost in halfto just 20.5 percent. The ISO also picked up the pace, reaching 0.250 for June.

Of course, that’s just a sample of 39 PA. But when you have a month with a wRC+ of -12, you’re going to consider the gains regardless of sample size. And it seems that the mechanical changes Taylor is currently working on, which supposedly focus on swing plane and velocity to the ball, are bearing fruit.

However, we shouldn’t expect this to mean Taylor gets much more playing time. In fact, it seems appropriate to maintain this level of involvement as he continues to work to recover from early-season struggles.

However, if this version of Chris Taylor is anything like permanent, he’s a tremendous value to the Dodgers. His versatility has already been key to his staying power despite such adversities, having played four different positions so far in 2024. If he can bring the bat into the equation, he’ll be a boon to a lineup that’s still far from healthy.