Tom Brennan - SPOTLIGHT ON LEFTY PROSPECT BLAKE TAYLOR

A good tailor is hard to find.

So is a good Taylor.

Blake Taylor was picked with the 51st overall pick in 2013 out of high school by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

It's been a long several years for Taylor, but things are looking up.

Hey, in his last 4 relief outings, he's allowed just 4 hits, no walks, and fanned 13.

Acquired from the Pirates as a player to be named later in the Ike Davis trade to the Bucs in 2013, Taylor in 2013 and 2014, he was 3 things, wild, wild, wild.  As in 39 walks and 43 Ks in 62 innings.

2015 and 2016 presented a new challenge of the Tommy John surgery variety, limiting Blake to 21 innings in those 2 seasons.

So in his first 4 seasons, just 83 innings.  

2017 and 2018 were not at all kind to Taylor as he combined to go just 4-17, with an ERA in the low 5s and still a penchant for high walks, but one good thing over those 2 seasons is that his K rate moved up to nearly 9 K / 9 IP.

It was clear that results-wise, as a starter over his first 6 seasons, he was going nowhere fast.  But the Ks, and being a lefty, surely prompted someone to think: what about relief?

Heck, it worked for another well-known Met: Jeurys Familia, who as a starter in 2010 was 6-9, 5.58 in A ball and 9-9, 4.73 in 2012 in AAA, while walking 147 in 258 innings in those 2 seasons.  So why not Taylor?

Taylor started out 2019, his 7th season, relieving in High A ball, and recently jumped to AA, and his #'s this season are good - very good in fact:

23 games, 7 of 8 in saves, 30 innings, 35 Ks, 12 walks.

And in his last 8 games, over 11 IP, NO walks and 18 Ks.

Maybe, just maybe, Taylor is about to follow in Familia's steps to the big leagues.

Which would make it a very long journey, but an ultimately successful one, for a guy who, despite the 7 pro seasons, does not turn 24 for another 2 months.

SO - WHY NOT TAYLOR?

BTW: The Mets had a pretty darned good reliever in 1967 through 1971 named Ron Taylor, who in 269 career relief appearances for the Mets was 21-21 with 50 saves and 3.04 ERA.  The good doctor did not have his first good full season as a major leaguer, though, until 1963, when he turned 25, two years older than Blake Taylor is now.

So Blake, there's still time, buddy.  

Let's hope for nothing but blue skies going forward.