LOS ANGELES – While New York loves to highlight its biggest and flashiest stars, Tyrone Taylor and DJ Stewart, relative unknowns, have been unsung heroes for the Mets, which were 12-11 and had won eight of their previous 12 games before facing the San Francisco Giants on the road yesterday afternoon.
The game ended a six-game West Coast road trip for the Mets. They went 2-1 versus the Los Angeles Dodgers and looked to take the series finale against the Giants after dropping the first two of their three-game series. Outfielders Taylor and Stewart have been key to the Mets’ turnaround after they began the season 0-5. Taylor is in his first season with the team and Stewart his second.
The 30-year-old Taylor was drafted by the Brewers in the second round of the 2012 MLB draft out of Torrance High School in Southern California. He made his MLB debut for them in 2019 and remained with the organization until the 2023 season before being traded to the Mets last December. During his time in Milwaukee, he had a slashline of .239/.294/.451.
While Taylor has not been an everyday starter for the team and is more of a utility man, he is certainly making the most of his chances when given the opportunity. As of yesterday, he’s only played two complete games in his last 10 big league appearances, but in that stretch, Taylor is batting .421, with one homer, seven RBI, two runs scored, and an OPS of .979.
Prior to the Mets meeting the Giants yesterday, in 17 games played and 44 at-bats, Taylor was batting .318, had an on-base percentage of .354 and an OPS of .786 with one homerun and 10 RBI.
While DJ Stewart’s batting average was lagging under .200 (.190), he had three homers, 11 RBI and an OPS of .816. The 30-year-old played high school ball in Jacksonville, Florida, and then spent two years playing college baseball for Florida State. He was drafted by the Orioles with the 25th overall pick in 2015 and made his debut with the team in 2018. His final season in Baltimore was in 2022, where he slashed .213/.327/.400.
Stewart signed a minor league contract with the Mets in February of 2023 and was added to their major league roster on July 4. In 58 games, he had 11 home runs, 26 RBI and batted of .244 His play earned him a one-year deal for 2024.
With Taylor and Stewart making unheralded but important contributions, the Mets have fought their way above .500. Although they made the playoffs in 2022, New York finished well below expectations last season, going 75-87 and missing the postseason. Last year proved they will need more than stars to be competitive. Taylor and Stewart are role players that can help them be in the mix for a playoff spot this season.