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Player Outlook
Samad Taylor began the season with Triple-A Omaha before earning his first trip to The Show in mid-June. He shuttled back and forth a few times but never was able to show he could handle major league pitching. Taylor contributed eight steals without being caught in just 31 games with the Royals, but his 31.9 percent strikeout rate and 30.0 percent HardHit% resulted in a low .270 on-base mark. However, on the farm, Taylor's combined line was .299/.416/.464 with a 20.5 percent strikeout rate and 15.9 percent walk rate. The 25-year-old's primary position is second base, but he can play third base, shortstop and left field, so he could earn a job as a utility infielder with a strong spring. Taylor isn't worthy of anything more than a reserve spot in an AL-only format, but he could emerge as a cheap source of steals in season if he can better approach the plate skills displayed on the farm.

Fantasy Stats

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Fantasy Points
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Fantasy Points per Game
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Runs
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Home Runs
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Runs Batted In
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Base on Balls (Walk)
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Stolen Bases
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Batting Average
2024 .000
2023 431.4 11 4 7 8 .200
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Fantasy News

  • Mariners' Samad Taylor: Optioned to Tacoma

    The Mariners optioned Taylor to Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports. After struggling with the Royals last season, Taylor was able to put together a solid spring, slashing .273/.342/.485 with two homers and six RBI across 38 plate appearances. If Taylor is able to keep his bat hot as he moves to Tacoma, he could return to Seattle this summer as a utility player.
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  • Mariners' Samad Taylor: Solid spring continues Sunday

    Taylor went 1-for-2 with a double, a stolen base and two runs in a Cactus League loss to the Diamondbacks on Sunday. Taylor pushed his spring average to .286, a solid figure that's accompanied by Sunday's double, two home runs, four RBI, three steals and seven runs. The 25-year-old, a late-January trade acquisition, brings an eclectic skill set that includes some outstanding speed, and he seemingly doesn't have anything left to prove at the Triple-A level after slashing .282/.384/.448 with a 13.5 percent walk rate and modest 21.2 percent strikeout rate across 694 plate appearances there the last two seasons. However, Taylor doesn't make the projected Opening Day roster of Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, implying he could well begin the season at Triple-A Tacoma.
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  • Mariners' Samad Taylor: Acquired by Mariners

    The Mariners acquired Taylor from the Royals on Monday in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports. It's already the third time the 25-year-old has been traded, as he went from the Guardians to the Blue Jays in the Joe Smith trade back in 2017 and from the Jays to the Royals in the Whit Merrifield deal in 2022. Taylor has elite speed and slashed .301/.418/.466 with eight homers and 43 steals at Triple-A Omaha in 2023. He swiped eight more bags in 31 games with Kansas City but hit only .200/.279/.267. Taylor can play all over the diamond and has options remaining.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: Logs steal in loss

    Taylor went 1-for-2 with a stolen base in Monday's 6-4 loss to the Athletics. Taylor had gone 0-for-9 at the plate across six games dating back to Aug. 6, though he's more often served as a late-game replacement recently. The 25-year-old is up to eight steals this season while slashing .185/.274/.241 with four RBI and 10 runs scored over 63 plate appearances. He'll continue to be an option at second base and in the outfield, but he's unlikely to command a starting role down the stretch.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: Picks up sixth steal

    Taylor went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 9-2 win over the Mets. Five of Taylor's six steals in the majors this year have come over his last five games. The Royals are still trying to balance playing time among a number of young players and prospects, with Taylor getting looks at second base and in left field. Michael Massey, MJ Melendez and Kyle Isbel appear to be most at risk of losing time if Taylor gets in the lineup more regularly.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: Logs two steals in win

    Taylor went 2-for-3 with a double, two stolen bases and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Mets. Michael Massey is expected to benefit the most from Nicky Lopez getting traded to Atlanta, but it was Taylor getting a start at second base Tuesday. The 25-year-old made the most of the opportunity with his first career multi-hit game. Taylor is up to five steals over 16 contests, and he's added three RBI, five runs scored and a 6:11 BB:K through 44 plate appearances.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: Back in majors

    The Royals recalled Taylor from Triple-A Omaha on Friday. With Nick Pratto (groin) landing on the injured list Friday, Taylor will come up from the minors to give Kansas City additional depth in the infield. Taylor's MLB numbers haven't been great since he debuted in June, but he's been scorching hot at Omaha in July, slashing .378/.545/.541 with eight steals in 12 games.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: Picks up second steal

    Taylor went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Tigers. This was Taylor's first game action since he was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on July 9. The versatile 25-year-old started in left field Monday, but he's often served as a reserve option while in the majors this season. He's batting just .152 with two stolen bases, three RBI and three runs scored through 41 plate appearances.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: Makes return to majors

    The Royals recalled Taylor from Triple-A Omaha on Sunday. Taylor will be back for his second stint of the season with the Royals after he previously went 4-for-30 over a stretch of 12 games from June 17 to July 2 before he was sent back to Omaha. The rookie will likely see most of his playing time against left-handed pitching while he rejoins the 26-man active roster as a replacement for outfielder Edward Olivares (oblique), who was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: Sent down to Triple-A

    Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday. The writing had been on the wall, as Taylor's opportunities had become more and more scarce lately. Taylor batted just .133/.270/.133 during his first go-round in the big leagues and now will head back to Omaha, where he'll receive more seasoning and regular at-bats.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: On bench again Monday

    Taylor is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Twins. After getting his first big-league call-up July 16, Taylor proceeded to start in seven of his first 10 games with the Royals, but his opportunities have since become more limited. In the subsequent seven contests, Taylor has started in just three times, and he'll head into Monday's series opener with a .133/.270/.133 slash line through his first 38 plate appearances in the majors. Given his struggles in addition to the fact that his playing time has been trending down, Taylor could soon be headed back to Triple-A Omaha.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: Not in lineup Friday

    Taylor is not in the lineup Friday versus the Angels. Taylor got called up from Triple-A Omaha on Friday afternoon, but his MLB debut may have to wait until later this weekend unless he comes off the bench Friday. The speedy 24-year-old could be an intriguing fantasy prospect if there's a regular role for him in Kansas City. He was sporting a .304/.409/.463 slash line with six homers and 34 steals through 62 games this season at Triple-A.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: Sent to Triple-A

    Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday. Taylor will head to Omaha to start the 2023 campaign after appearing in 10 spring training contests, producing a .400 average with two homers, seven RBI, five runs and three stolen bases over 20 at-bats. After the impressive showing in the Cactus League, the 24-year-old certainly increased his chances of getting his first major-league call-up at some point this season. Considering Taylor can play both the infield and the outfield, he seems likely to be a long-term option for Kansas City.
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  • Royals' Samad Taylor: Steals home Wednesday

    Taylor went 1-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases and a run scored in Wednesday's Cactus League win over the Rockies. Taylor didn't start the contest, but he made a strong impact. One of his steals came in the ninth inning when he stole home for the Royals' fifth run of the frame. The 24-year-old is 3-for-9 over four spring games so far, and he's showing off his speed with a triple and two steals to go with two RBI. He's logged 123 steals over his last four minor-league seasons, though he didn't play with Triple-A Omaha following his trade from the Blue Jays' organization as part of the Whit Merrifield trade last summer. Taylor faces an uphill battle for a major-league job in 2023, but solid contact hitting and flashes of speed could at least earn him a bench spot at some point.
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  • Blue Jays' Samad Taylor: Breakout year in Double-A

    Taylor is hitting .318/.398/.617 with 12 homers, 30 RBI, 16 steals and 41 runs across 41 games for Double-A New Hampshire. A former 10th-round pick by Cleveland, the 22-year-old Taylor has largely flown under the radar in the minors. He stole 44 bags for Class-A Lansing in 2018, but this power is new -- he's already hit more homers this year than in any previous season. As is the trend in baseball today, it's clear he's selling out a little to do that, as his strikeout rate is up too and his typically excellent walk rate is down a bit. Taylor's .420 BABIP suggests his average will come down, but his positional versatility and well-rounded skill set point to a future as a solid -- and potentially fantasy-relevant -- utility player.
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