Chris Taylor

Chris Taylor

32-Year-Old OutfielderOF
Los Angeles Dodgers
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Given Taylor's strong 2021 campaign that included his first All-Star berth, the Dodgers seemed to be getting good value on the four-year, $60 million contract they handed him during the ensuing offseason. However, the versatile veteran performed well below his usual standards in the first year of the deal, finishing with a .677 OPS -- his lowest since becoming a full-time player -- over 118 games. Health certainly played a part in the drop-off, as Taylor battled a variety of injuries (most notably, a fractured foot that kept out nearly all of July) throughout the campaign. The bigger picture, however, is that Taylor struggled mightily to make contact -- both his 39.9 percent whiff rate and 35.2 percent strikeout rate ranked very near the bottom among major-league hitters. The utility man also lost some of his utility last season, as almost all of his time was spent in the outfield and at second base following a 2021 campaign during which he logged double-digit appearances at four different positions, including shortstop and third base. The reduction in positional eligibility along with the offensive struggles will likely have a big impact on Taylor's draft stock heading into 2023; there's still an element of power-speed in his profile, but a bounce-back for a hitter in his early 30s is far from a certainty. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#323
ADP
$Signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Dodgers in December of 2021. Contract includes $12 million team option ($4 million buyout) for 2026.
Homers twice Sunday
OFLos Angeles Dodgers
May 28, 2023
Taylor went 3-for-3 with two homers and three runs scored in Sunday's 11-10 loss against Tampa Bay.
ANALYSIS
Taylor smacked a pair of solo shots off Rays starter Josh Fleming, loudly ending a 14-game stretch without a homer. Sunday's performance may be what Taylor needed to get back on track -- he'd gone just 5-for-36 with a .406 OPS since May 9. Overall, the 32-year-old utility man is batting .213/.276/.500 with nine homers, 21 RBI, 20 runs scored and four stolen bases in 134 plate appearances this season.
Read More News
Batting Stats
Loading Batting Stats...
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2023 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2022 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2021 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2020 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2019 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2018 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2017 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
Minor League Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Loading Minor League Batting Game Log...
Batting Order Slot Breakdown
vs Right-Handed Pitchers
vs RHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
1
1
7
8
vs Left-Handed Pitchers
vs LHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
6
4
1
1
3
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2021
 
 
+14%
OPS vs LHP
2023
 
 
+76%
OPS vs LHP
2022
 
 
+16%
OPS vs RHP
2021
 
 
+22%
OPS vs LHP
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2021vs Left .809 356 53 15 47 8 .251 .326 .483
Since 2021vs Right .707 816 105 24 90 19 .229 .317 .390
2023vs Left 1.025 51 10 7 13 0 .250 .275 .750
2023vs Right .583 85 11 2 8 4 .182 .259 .325
2022vs Left .608 135 13 2 9 3 .193 .289 .319
2022vs Right .706 319 32 8 34 7 .233 .310 .396
2021vs Left .897 170 30 6 25 5 .296 .371 .526
2021vs Right .733 412 62 14 48 8 .237 .333 .400
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2021
 
 
+13%
OPS at Home
2023
 
 
+11%
OPS on Road
2022
 
 
+2%
OPS at Home
2021
 
 
+28%
OPS at Home
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2021Home .790 523 86 22 67 14 .246 .331 .460
Since 2021Away .697 650 72 17 70 13 .228 .311 .386
2023Home .713 56 11 3 8 3 .192 .232 .481
2023Away .789 81 10 6 13 1 .219 .296 .493
2022Home .684 205 27 6 23 6 .217 .312 .372
2022Away .671 249 18 4 20 4 .225 .297 .374
2021Home .891 262 48 13 36 5 .282 .366 .524
2021Away .694 320 44 7 37 8 .232 .326 .368
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Chris Taylor compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • BB/K
    Walk to strikeout ratio
  • BB Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
  • K Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
  • ISO
    Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
  • AVG
    Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
  • OBP
    On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
  • SLG
    Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
  • OPS
    On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
  • wOBA
    Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Hard Hit Rate
    A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
  • Barrels/PA
    The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Expected BA
    Expected Batting Average.
  • Expected SLG
    Expected Slugging Percentage.
  • Sprint Speed
    The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
  • Ground Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
  • Line Drive %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
  • Fly Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.
BB/K
0.18
 
BB Rate
6.6%
 
K Rate
35.8%
 
BABIP
.250
 
ISO
.280
 
AVG
.208
 
OBP
.270
 
SLG
.488
 
OPS
.758
 
wOBA
.324
 
Exit Velocity
88.4 mph
 
Hard Hit Rate
36.4%
 
Barrels/PA
8.8%
 
Expected BA
.235
 
Expected SLG
.509
 
Sprint Speed
24.7 ft/sec
 
Ground Ball %
25.0%
 
Line Drive %
22.4%
 
Fly Ball %
52.6%
 
Advanced Batting Stats
Loading Advanced Batting Stats...
Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
Loading Games Played by Position...
Loading MLB Defensive Stats...
Batted Ball Stats
Loading Batted Ball Stats...
Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
Want more matchup stats?
Loading Matchup Stats...
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Subscribe Now
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Chris Taylor See More
Lineup Lowdown: National League
Yesterday
Ryan Boyer steps in with his deep dive into the National League's Lineup Lowdown, including a look at Mookie Betts trending toward eligibility at three positions.
MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Friday May 19
12 days ago
Friday's slate of games doesn't offer the best selection of pitchers, but Chris Morgan likes Atlanta's Bryce Elder and his 1.94 ERA.
MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Friday, May 12
19 days ago
Chris Bennett is looking to stack the Phillies in Coors Field for his Friday FanDuel lineups.
DraftKings MLB: Tuesday Breakdown
22 days ago
Dan Marcus is all over a Yankees stack Tuesday against the Athletics.
MLB FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
34 days ago
Jason Shebilske digs deep for FAAB targets, including a Cubs pitcher who was almost perfect.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
The Swiss army knife of Major League Baseball, Taylor returns to the Dodgers after re-signing with the team ahead of the lockout in December. Taylor is coming off an extremely productive season in which he slashed .254/.344/.438 with 20 homers, 73 RBI, 92 runs scored and 13 stolen bases as the club's super-utility man. He was a first-time All-Star in 2021 on the strength of a .277/.382/.452 line in the first half. The versatility and well-rounded production make Taylor appealing even in shallow mixed leagues where he can sometimes be overlooked given he's not a superstar player. Taylor enters the year with multi-position eligibility (2B/SS/OF) and plenty of playing time on the horizon, especially with the new contract and the subtraction of Corey Seager from the roster.
Taylor saw action at four different positions plus designated hitter during the 2020 campaign and continued to provide plus defense. The 30-year-old entered the season in a downward trend, but he was a lineup fixture during the shortened slate and played in all but four games. Taylor rediscovered the form from his breakout 2016 season with a .270/.366/.476 slash line, eight home runs, 10 doubles, three stolen bases and 32 RBI in 56 games. He also posted the best walk rate (12.3%) of his career. He shouldn't be expected to replicate those numbers in 2021, but an improvement over his sub-.800 OPS from 2018-2019 is reasonable. The Dodgers may give youngster Gavin Lux a look at second base next season, but the potential departures of Justin Turner, Joc Pederson and Enrique Hernandez in free agency should leave Taylor plenty of opportunities as he enters the final year of his contract.
Taylor's 2019 was impacted by a broken arm from a hit-by-pitch that cost him a good chunk of the summer. Prior to that, Taylor was having a solid season with a .261/.334/.452 slash line with eight homers and 20 doubles in nearly 300 PA. He returned in late August and finished the year with similar ratios. A decline in homers and a rise in doubles point to balls not traveling as far, which is concerning given the baseball that was in play last season. Taylor's average exit velocity dropped more than three mph last season, putting him in the bottom seventh percentile overall in that area. He strikes out like a power hitter, but he isn't hitting much like one these days. He is eligible at three positions on draft day, but the statistical decline we've seen from Taylor since his 2017 breakout is beginning to get concerning. Overall, he is still an above-average offensive player, but backsliding.
August was a month Taylor would like to soon forget. The acquisitions of Manny Machado and Brian Dozier ate into his playing time. When on the field, Taylor posted a .185/.272/.321 line with a 35.9 K%. Perhaps there was cause and effect, but he did rebound the final month, slashing .345/.433/.586, albeit it with a 29.9 K%. In fact, over the final three months, Taylor fanned at a 34.1% clip, saved by a .379 BABIP in that span. Over the first three months he registered a 25.7 K% and .320 BABIP. For the season, Taylor’s 29.5 K% was up from 2017’s breakout campaign. His power and speed took a step back as his HR/FB dropped while his stolen-base chances and success rate both dipped. Taylor could return to everyday action, but it’s more likely he settles into a super-utility role as a plus defender at several positions. If Taylor gets regular playing time, his contact woes are a threat to take it away. The ceiling is enticing, but the floor says don’t overpay.
A retooled swing completely changed Taylor's career trajectory; he went from an also-ran utility type to an impact top-of-the-order hitter on a pennant-winning Dodgers club. Taylor worked with an outside consultant to change his bat path and reduce his number of groundballs, and in turn he added six percentage points to his hard-hit rate (to 32.4 percent) and upped his barrel rate from 3.1 barrels per plate appearance to 5.2. Taylor finished with a .361 wOBA and 126 wRC+ in 568 plate appearances, while falling three stolen bases shy of a 20-20 season. He also showed more patience, walking at an 8.8 percent clip, so even if his average falls (25 percent strikeout rate, .361 BABIP), Taylor will have a good chance to stick in the leadoff spot. The 27-year-old has multi-position eligibility and is part of a powerful lineup. This seems like just the beginning of his window of relevance.
Taylor, a former top prospect, was traded to the Dodgers at midseason after failing to carve out a major league role with the Mariners. In L.A., he saw some time backing up Corey Seager at shortstop while also filling in at second and third base. His time with the big league squad was limited though, so most of his production came during his time with Triple-A Oklahoma City where he hit an excellent .368/.438/.544. He still has value as a pre-arbitration player capable of fielding shortstop well, but that isn't exactly a profile with much fantasy appeal. Unfortunately for Taylor, the Dodgers also have Charlie Culberson in the organization, another right-handed hitter that can work as a utility infielder, so the two will likely have to duke it out in spring training for a roster spot.
A broken wrist last spring ended a competition with Brad Miller at shortstop, but when Taylor returned in early May the position was still his for the taking as the Mariners tired of Miller's fielding miscues. Taylor, though, looked baffled at the plate. He batted .159/.221/.206 in 20 games and was back in Triple-A by month's end. He got another chance in July, but again struggled, batting .194/.219/.258 in 17 games before a demotion for good. He fared much better in 83 games at Tacoma, but in the majors his contact rate dropped to 67 percent, his strikeout rose to 30.4% and he posted a poor 5.9% walk rate. Prospect Ketel Marte took over shortstop later in the year, all but ensuring the best Taylor can do in the Mariners' organization is a backup or utility role. Trouble is, Seattle acquired utility man Luis Sardinas in November and returns infielder/outfielder Shawn O'Malley. It's hard to see where Taylor fits, other than waiting in Triple-A for an injury to Marte.
Taylor made his major league debut last season, quickly displacing Brad Miller as the starting shortstop in Seattle. But while Taylor has a better glove than Miller, he doesn't appear to have near the potential with the bat. Taylor doesn't have the power to compensate for the high strikeout rate he carried through the minors. That got even worse after his late-July callup, as he posted a 25.8% strikeout rate in his 136 at-bats with a 73.4% contact rate. His on-base skills took a hit too, as his walk rate was a mere 7.3%. And his seemingly impressive .287 batting average was a product of a .402 BABIP. Of course, a two-month sample size isn't definitive, but Taylor needs to cut his strikeouts and show the patience at the plate he displayed in the minors if he wants to win the starting job over Miller in spring training.
This could prove to be a pivotal year for Taylor, who likely will open at Triple-A Tacoma hoping to show his ceiling is higher than the all-glove utility man he has been pegged as. A 2012 fifth-round pick out of the University of Virginia, Taylor showed excellent patience at the plate last season, drawing 84 walks in 134 games across two minor league stops. At 6-0, 170, he doesn't have the build for much power, which makes his high strikeout rate a problem. He hit well in the Arizona Fall League, but if he is to take the next step, he must make more contact. Taylor has good speed and is excellent on the bases, succeeding on 38-of-43 stolen base attempts last season. In the field, his range at shortstop is described as average to above average depending on the scout, but he has a strong arm and can play second base, too. The Mariners have a backlog of middle infielders, but Taylor will have a chance to prove that he too belongs in the conversation.
More Fantasy News
Absent from lineup again
OFLos Angeles Dodgers
May 26, 2023
Taylor is not in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Rays, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Not in lineup Thursday
OFLos Angeles Dodgers
May 18, 2023
Taylor is not in the starting lineup Thursday against the Cardinals.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Hits seventh homer
OFLos Angeles Dodgers
May 9, 2023
Taylor hit a two-run home run in his only at-bat against Milwaukee on Monday.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Provides offense in close win
OFLos Angeles Dodgers
May 6, 2023
Taylor went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Padres.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Not in lineup Friday
OFLos Angeles Dodgers
May 5, 2023
Taylor is not in the starting lineup Friday versus the Padres, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.