Dodgers: How Three Key Pieces Landed in Los Angeles

Chris Taylor; INF/OF/Everywhere

Chris Taylor is the man, let’s just get that out of the way. On a team where there just wasn’t a spot open for him to take, Chris Taylor just decided to make one. The infield is occupied? Better learn how to play outfield. And that is exactly what Taylor did in 2017, en route to a career season he may never top. Taylor hit .288 with 21 home runs in 2017, all career highs. He also made plays all over the field, regardless of where Dave Roberts played him. Taylor ended up playing five different positions on the year for Los Angeles.

So where did he come from? Well, Dodgers fans know that Chris Taylor was born from the ashes of a highly touted prospect. At one point Zach Lee was one of the most highly touted prospects in all of baseball. Lee was taken in the first round of the 2010 draft by Los Angeles number 28 overall. After five years of disappointments, injuries and let downs, the organization gave up on him. He was traded for a guy who hit .239 and no home runs at all in his first two seasons, in which he only played 84 games.

Taylor was a 5th round pick in 2012, so he’s no slouch. And he has proved that dramatically for Los Angeles thus far. Here’s hoping he can replicate his miracle campaign in 2018.

Next: Alex Wood