Tyrone Taylor began this year as the Mets’ fourth outfielder due to the additions of Luis Robert Jr. and Carson Benge. Known mostly for his defense, Taylor saw plenty of playing time with the Robert landing on the Injured List at the end of April and Benge struggling to start the year. Unfortunately for the team, Taylor also struggled with the bat, hitting just .186 with 3 home runs, 14 RBIs, and an OPS of just .530 before heading to the IL with a hip flexor strain at the end of May.
During that time,
he did gift the team with one of the more dramatic home runs of the entire season. On May 17 against the Yankees, he snuck a game-tying, three-run home run down the left field line with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. They would walk it off in the tenth on Carson Benge’s chopper that caused two Yankee infielders to collide which allowed the winning run to score. The team had lost 96 straight games when trailing after eight innings until that memorable day at Citi Field. There weren’t many Amazin’ Finishes from 2026, but that certainly was one of them.
Taylor missed exactly one month with his injury and returned on June 26 which coincidentally was the same day Carlos Mendoza was fired. When Taylor returned, he was rejuvenated at the plate before he was traded to the Cubs on August 3. During that time he hit .354/.436/.875 with an OPS of 1.311 in 24 games. That surge, along with Clay Holmes’s stellar season, helped the Mets acquire prospect Jefferson Rojas at the trade deadline. Rojas became the Mets top ranked prospect in the system and is an exciting prospect to keep an eye on as one looks to the future of the franchise.
Taylor found success in limited time with the Cubs and hit .351/.390/.500 with one home run and 10 RBIs in 30 games. The 32-year-old is a free agent so a reunion with the Mets is possible if they want to re-sign him as a depth piece once again.
If that doesn’t happen, over his three years in Queens he hit .236/.289/.388 with an OPS of .677. By his own admission, he loved his time with the Mets and by all accounts was a good dude who will remembered fondly by fans for providing a bright spark in an otherwise dismal season.
