The Nine: Michael Taylor

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Here is the fourth installment of five of the best Black baseball players ever to suit up for the Sacramento River Cats.

Former Sacramento River Cats outfielder Michael Taylor is one of the most successful hitters to don the RC logo.

Drafted out of Stanford University in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2007 MLB Draft, Taylor had a well-decorated MiLB career. His impressive production in the Philadelphia system led to his inclusion in the Phillies’ 2009 trade for Hall-of-Fame right-hander Roy Halladay.

Taylor was a five-time Player of the Week (one with Sacramento in 2012), two-time Mid-Season All-Star, a Post-Season All-Star, a Topps Double-A All-Star, and two-time Organization All-Star while with the River Cats in 2012 and 2013.

The 6’5 outfielder did everything for the River Cats during his five seasons in Sacramento.

He was the River Cats’ Most Improved Player in 2010, Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, and Most Exciting Player in 2013.

He still holds the title of River Cats’ all-time RBIs leader with 325 and also ranks second in games played (511), at-bats (1,900), runs (299), hits (521), doubles (112), walks (266), and steals (60).

Taylor played 37 games in the Majors for the Oakland A’s and Chicago White Sox, hitting his first MLB home run off left-hander Derek Holland on Sept. 20, 2011. He hit his 100th professional home run on April 10, 2014 at Las Vegas.