The Brewers have no shortage of outfield inspiration if Tyrone Taylor ever needed it.
Anthony Cain. Ben Gamal. Yelich Christian.
When Taylor made his Major League Baseball debut in 2019, those names were all over the Milwaukee lineup. He took note of the practices and preparation that they — and he, too, one day — would require to establish themselves as regular starters.
However, Taylor’s slow progress with the Brewers took a turn for the worst when they traded him and starting pitcher Adrian Houser to the Mets in December.
Taylor was in training when he received a call from a front desk employee. He was astounded and incredulous.
Before the Mets trounced the Cardinals 9-3 on Saturday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Taylor, 30, said to The Post, “But then after a couple hours, I was just excited to get out here and meet everybody.”
Spring training turned into a transitional season for Taylor as he adjusted to the Mets (it was his first spring training without the Brewers) and battled for a position as the team’s fourth outfielder, behind Brandon Nimmo, Harrison Bader, and Starling Marte.
He has not made an error in 331 MLB games with the Brewers since 2019. That includes a career-high 120 in 2022.
Taylor has hit .353 with a .742 OPS in his short time with the Mets, and manager Carlos Mendoza said that he has also looked good in center field.
“Some of the jumps, some of the plays that he’s made there so far, it’s been really, really good to see,” Mendoza said.
Taylor’s arrival in Port St. Lucie initially reminded him of his first day of a new job or school. It required some time to get used to.
Took him a while to adjust to his new environment. It took some time for the sentiments of anxiety-freedom to transfer to the sports and exercises.
He claimed that this served to solidify his spring with the Mets.
Since his sophomore year at Torrance (Calif.) High School, Taylor has always played outfield. It all started when he learned he needed to move positions to join the varsity lineup and that he couldn’t make the infield throws.
In five of his six spring starts, he has patrolled center field, with the other being as the Mets’ left fielder. He has been in right or center field in 78 percent of his MLB outfield games. Since the swap during the winter, Taylor has also attempted to improve his stance and bat path.
Depending on how things work out, it might result in a roster spot. The solid at-bats and defensive contributions may start to take on a more defined role.
And in the event that Marte’s groin injury returned, Nimmo missed any games, or anything else occurred to Bader, Taylor’s status as a reserve might become crucial.
“I’m really just surrendering the results and making sure that my body’s healthy and getting back into the groove of things,” Taylor said. “Going out there and being free.”