Samad Taylor -2B/OF
Acquired from the Cleveland Guardians back in 2017, Samad Taylor has also battled his way through the Minor League ladder and is now a prominent feature on the Bisons roster. It makes sense considering he was one of the top hitters on the Fisher Cats roster last season with a .888 OPS and 16 home runs.
The biggest task for Taylor this year was to keep the strikeouts in check, as he accumulated 110 K’s last year through 87 games. The righty-batter is faring much better this season, only having 45 strikeouts through 55 contests this season while also posting a .262/.352/.401 slash line with a .753 OPS, adding five home runs and 35 RBI, both of which lead the Bisons roster. Taylor has also become a versatile player, splitting time between 2B and LF with just one error on the year through 405 innings this year.
Right now, his biggest internal competition is Nathan Lukes should a spot for an outfielder open up on the Jays roster. The power is there and the strikeouts have been drastically reduced, so it would not be a crazy notion if the club decides to give him a chance later on this season.