We're joined right now by today starting center fielder for the first time this year,
and that's Chris Taylor. Chris, thanks a lot for the time.
The red in your face is all gone now for reals. Yeah, no,
we're alive. Now, we're hot, yeah, hot, mics now,
Chris. And you're starting in center field for the first time this year.
That was a place that you learned back in twenty seventeen. How do
you feel about that and is it any big difference do you expect today?
No, not really. You know, I feel pretty comfortable in center and
left. I have experienced in both those spots, so you know, for
me, it's kind of similar no matter which aut fields. A bottom man,
I just want to be aggressive and you know, kind of all over
the field, just play without aggressive mentality. So some outfielders have told me
that left field is actually harder to learn if you've never played there before,
just the way the ball angle comes at you. Yeah, I think center
field you get the truest flight, you know, typically, you know,
you want your kind of take control and know anything they can catch, you
know, call the other guys off. So that's probably the biggest difference in
left field. Sometimes you have to concede that ball of the center fielder.
I'm not gonna say you've lost a step because it doesn't look that way.
But how much different is it trying to get a better jump in twenty twenty
four than maybe twenty seventeen. I don't think it's any different, you know,
other than the fact that I was playing center field almost every day.
But no, it nothing's really changed. Were you offended by me even insinuating
you may have lost a step? Yeah, a little bit. What do
you mean by that? I don't know. I mean like it's seven years
ago, so I imagine that you have to get a better jump these days.
Yeah, I feel great. Let's just move on, okay. Chris
Taylor is our guest, and speaking of feeling great, it must have feled
great to get the results that you got yesterday. I know you've been working
really hard. Extra base hit of the season a big spot there. I
mean, even at this stage of your career, to get those results,
how much does that help you moving forward to build upon? Yeah? You
know, I felt like myself yesterday, which I haven't been there in a
while, you know, just I thought the quality of that baths were better
more aggressive on pitches in the zone. I felt like I was on time
for pitches I missed a few. The pitchers also made a few good pitches
on me, So you know, I just kind of felt like I was
in control of Matt bats yesterday, which I haven't felt that way in a
while. So to get back to that point and you know, kind of
be the aggressor when I'm up there rather than be on the defense is a
switch of the mentality that you know, hopefully I can carry that going forward.
Does that mean you're more aggressive early in the counts when you say that,
No, I think it's more just the mindset, you know, I'm
it's the way you know you step in the box, you know, the
kind of having that confidence and you know, trusting your abilities and trusting all
the prep you did. And you know, no matter whether I'm on the
defensive side of the offensive side, I want to be aggressive. I want
to live and die that way. So, yeah, just fell a lot
better. When you go through this type of start to the season. How
how much do you rely upon just your consistent approach and preparation. Yeah,
you know, I've had to make some adjustments for sure. Obviously the the
beginning of the season wasn't going the way out or this season hasn't been going
away I wanted it to. And you know, I've kind of had a
chance to gather. I haven't been playing as much recently, so I've had
a chance to kind of regroup and work on some things. And I feel
like I'm at a point now where I don't have to dwell so much on
the mechanical side of it. I feel like I'm in a pretty good place.
So now it's just back to, you know, playing the game and
doing things the right way and kind of letting my instincts take over, you
know, the way I used to play, and I think I've lost that
a little bit, you know, especially this year or so, just trying
to get back to that. I've heard hitters say that it's just when you
step in the batter's box that day, the feel is there and you've got
that aha moment. Have you felt that recently? Did you feel it yesterday?
Where you have that feel and, like you said, playing like you
used to, relying on instincts. Yeah, I just felt better, you
know, felt more confident. You know, I wasn't overthinking things, and
you know, I wouldn't say I'm locked in by any means, but I
just felt like myself, which I haven't felt that way in a while