It was an 0-1 count in the bottom of the eighth inning. Two runners were on base, and the Bisons' Samad Taylor knew to be patient. He wanted to see what St. Paul reliever Yennier Cano would throw next.
As Cano fired another pitch, Taylor sent the ball to left field for his second home run of the night to give the Herd an 8-7 win over the Saints at Sahlen Field.
Since signing with Toronto, Taylor has become more confident in his performance at the plate. His development has exponentially increased since his return from the Australian League in 2021, increasing his batting average from .244 in Canberra to .294 last season at New Hampshire.
The second baseman has carried the energy to Buffalo, batting second in the order as one of the team's top offensive threats.
However, Taylor wasn’t always the batter the Herd have now. He has changed his understanding of the game to match the maturity needed to succeed.
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Taylor, who turns 24 in a couple of weeks, says he now relies on patience and confidence each time he steps into the box.
“The biggest thing is what you are going to do to bring yourself back to a calm manner in that moment,” Taylor said. “The higher you move up (in minor league baseball), the game is going to speed up, so what are you doing to separate yourself from [other] players?”
Taylor’s performance in the six-game series win over St. Paul last week proved his new theory is working. He went 8-for-22 (.364 average) with four home runs and seven RBIs. The Herd begin a six-game swing at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, and hope Taylor to continue his recent surge.
“I feel like we're in a good spot,” Taylor said following the 8-7 win last week. “And I know tomorrow, [we] can come in pumped up, ready to go after it again.”
Taylor was drafted out of Corona (Calif.) High School in the 10th round by the Cleveland Guardians in 2016, playing that season with the Arizona Rookie League Indians before shifting to Mahoning Valley’s shortened season level to start the 2017 season.
Once the Guardians released Taylor, Toronto picked him up and he spent time in Vancouver and Bluefield before being brought up to Lansing’s Low-A in 2018. He played for Dunedin’s High-A team in 2019 leading up to the pandemic.
Taylor struggled to adapt quickly to the professional environment, starting his minor league journey at only 17 years old. He hit below .230 in 2018 and 2019, hitting a combined 16 home runs for those seasons. After returning from the Australian League after the pandemic break, he's felt more confident in his development and has proven to be a worthwhile grab for the Blue Jays.
“The hard thing in the game is trying to find a way to stay within yourself,” Taylor said. “So whatever you can do to bring you back to reality … step out, relax yourself, get back in the box and let do what [you’ve] got to do.”
Now, he’s playing his first season in Triple-A with nine home runs and 45 RBIs. Entering play Tuesday, he was tied for the International League lead with 23 stolen bases and ranked eighth with 41 runs scored.
Taylor’s batting average has improved to .267 nearly midway through the regular season. Bisons manager Casey Candaele said Taylor asks a lot of questions when he can, and it’s a part of why he’s adapted well.
“He's wanting to learn about situations in games and different things that he should do or think about,” Candaele said. “It's been a good growing process for him … he’s learned a lot.”
Taylor emphasizes the importance of trusting himself, and more importantly, centering himself each time he steps into the batter’s box.
“Confidence is key,” he said. “If you don't have the confidence and you're going to the plate, you’re kind of shooting yourself in the foot, because hitting is hard [enough] as it is.”
Taylor said his adjustments have felt like a gradual change as he’s become more confident. He regularly studies film on pitchers, trying to analyze as much as he can before facing them in a game.
He also uses film as a way to increase his stolen base percentage. He held an 82% success rate after the St. Paul series, an improvement from 66% his rookie season. He has developed into a strong presence the Bisons can rely on.
“I think understanding his role as a base runner, and the kind of havoc and tension that he can create on the bases with other teams,” Candaele said. “He’s making the adjustments and that’s a big part of being able to get to the next level.”
Once the pandemic cut off Taylor’s chances to play in the U.S., he started to watch more game film to help understand the game at a higher level. As he’s spent more time with his research, he has gained trust in himself against pitchers with Major League experience.
With more success under his belt, he said continuing to grow helps keep him humbly focused.
“I always go back to, I’m in the position I'm in for a reason,” Taylor said. “If they didn't believe in me, they wouldn't have given me the opportunity.”
