Tayler Scott

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Tayler James Scott

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Biographical Information[edit]

Pitcher Tayler Scott was the second player and the first pitcher born on the African content to reach the major leagues, following infielder Gift Ngoepe. He made his debut two years after Ngoepe, on June 8, 2019, giving up 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief against the Los Angeles Angels.

While born in South Africa and a citizen of that country, he attended a high school in Scottsdale, AZ, making him eligible for the amateur draft. He was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 5th round in 2011 and began a long minor league apprenticeship with the AZL Cubs that season. He had tried various sports in his home country, including rugby, cricket and soccer, but baseball was his preference, and his parents relocated to the U.S. when he was 17 to allow him to pursue his dream, leaving his two sisters behind and rotating between the two countries. It helped that his father had a personal business that he could run remotely. He reached AA in 2015 with the Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League, but after putting up a 5.23 ERA in 15 games, was released at the end of spring training in 2016.

After pitching for the independent Sioux City Explorers at the start of 2016, he was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers on July 6th and assigned to the Biloxi Shuckers, back in the Southern League. He did better this time, going 3-2, 4.39 in 24 games. Back with the same team in 2017, he improved to 4-6, 2.34 in 46 games and on July 31st was traded to the Texas Rangers in return for major league reliever Jeremy Jeffress. He finished the season with the Round Rock Express, in the Pacific Coast League but was hit hard in his first taste of AAA ball, with a 7.62 ERA in 12 games. In 2018, he made 44 appearances with Round Rock, going 5-5, 3.26. He became a free agent after the season and signed with the Mariners. he started 2019 back in the PCL with the Tacoma Rainiers, where he was 3-2, 5.88 in 19 games at the time of his call-up.

Further Reading[edit]

  • T.R. Sullivan: "Scott aims to be MLB's first South African hurler: Growing up in Johannesburg, righty chose baseball over rugby, soccer", mlb.com, February 25, 2018. [1]

Related Sites[edit]

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