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Taylor Walls

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Taylor Walls
Walls in 2017 with the Hudson Valley Renegades
Tampa Bay Rays – No. 6
Shortstop / Second baseman
Born: (1996-07-10) July 10, 1996 (age 28)
Cordele, Georgia, U.S.
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 22, 2021, for the Tampa Bay Rays
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Batting average.188
Home runs18
Runs batted in98
Teams

Davis Taylor Walls (born July 10, 1996) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021.

Amateur career

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Walls attended Crisp County High School in Cordele, Georgia, where he played baseball.[1] In 2014, his senior year, he batted over .400 while pitching to a 0.70 earned run average (ERA).[2] Undrafted in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, Walls enrolled at Florida State University (FSU), where he played college baseball for the Florida State Seminoles.

In 2015, during Walls' freshman year at Florida State, he earned a starting spot, and started all 65 of FSU's games, batting .220 with 22 runs batted in (RBIs) and seven stolen bases.[3][4] As a sophomore in 2016, Walls slashed .355/.479/.516 with six home runs, 46 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases over 63 starts, earning All-ACC Second Team honors.[5][6] In 2017, his junior season, Walls started 68 of FSU's 69 games, hitting .273 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs.[7] After the season, Walls was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the third round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[8][9]

Professional career

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Walls signed with the Rays and made his professional debut with the Hudson Valley Renegades of the Low–A New York–Penn League, batting .213 with one home run over 46 games.[10] In 2018, Walls played with the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Single–A Midwest League (with whom he earned All-Star honors), slashing .304/.393/.428 with six home runs, 57 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases over 120 games.[11] Walls started the 2019 season with the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the High–A Florida State League, being named an All-Star. He missed three weeks during the season due to a quadriceps injury.[12] In June, he was promoted to the Montgomery Biscuits of the Double–A Southern League, with whom he finished the season.[13] Over 96 games between the two clubs, Walls batted .270/.343/.452 with ten home runs, 46 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases.[14]

Walls did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] On November 20, 2020, he was added to the 40-man roster.[16] To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Durham Bulls of the Triple-A East.[17]

On May 22, 2021, Walls was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[18][19] He made his debut that day and recorded his first MLB hit, a double off of Toronto Blue Jays starter Robbie Ray, during the game.[20] Walls ended the 2021 season with Tampa Bay slashing .211/.314/.296 with one home run, 15 RBIs, and ten doubles over 152 at-bats.[21]

In 2023, Walls played in 99 games for Tampa Bay, hitting .201/.305/.333 with 8 home runs, and new career–highs in RBI (36), and stolen bases (22). Following the season on October 30, Walls underwent hip surgery to relieve discomfort and repair a labrum tear.[22]

Walls began the 2024 season on the injured list as he recover from surgery, and was transferred to the 60–day injured list on April 20.[23] He was activated from the injured list on June 7.[24]

Personal life

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Walls' wife, Hallie, gave birth to their daughter in April 2021.[25] Their second child, a son, was born in September 2023.[26]

In March 2022, Walls retweeted a statement from Ron DeSantis criticizing the NCAA's decision to allow Lia Thomas to compete in women's swimming competitions. Rays manager Kevin Cash said he spoke to Walls about the tweet but Walls told media that he did not think he "did anything wrong ... It’s just my opinion. And feel free to disagree, there’s no harm done. I don’t have any hard feelings towards anyone else. And that’s kind of it."[27]

References

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  1. ^ Millikan, John. "State championship loss ends run for 'family' of Crisp County seniors". Albany Herald.
  2. ^ Morse, Tim. "RAY KNIGHT BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Crisp County's Taylor Walls". Albany Herald.
  3. ^ Henry, Jim. "FSU freshman Walls steps in at SS". Tallahassee Democrat.
  4. ^ Sonnone, Brendan. "Where does FSU baseball go from here?". orlandosentinel.com.
  5. ^ Ferrante, Bob. "Taylor Walls, FSU look to scale College World Series heights". The Palm Beach Post.
  6. ^ "Seminole Trio Garner All-ACC Honors". Florida State Seminoles. May 23, 2016.
  7. ^ "The resurgence of Taylor Walls". Tallahassee Democrat.
  8. ^ "Cordele's Walls drafted by Rays". www.walb.com. June 13, 2017.
  9. ^ III, Wayne E. McGahee III and Wayne McGahee. "FSU shortstop Taylor Walls drafted by the Rays". Tallahassee Democrat.
  10. ^ Culver, Jordan. "FSU's Taylor Walls signs with the Tampa Bay Rays, Drew Carlton with the Detroit Tigers". Tallahassee Democrat.
  11. ^ "Six Hot Rods chosen for Midwest League all-star game". www.wbko.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018.
  12. ^ "Rays' Taylor Walls: Hitting well since return". CBSSports.com.
  13. ^ "Rays' Taylor Walls: Promoted to Double-A". CBSSports.com.
  14. ^ "Raleigh among young Noles on 60-man MLB rosters - The Osceola".
  15. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled". MLB.com.
  16. ^ "Rays Designate Hunter Renfroe For Assignment - MLB Trade Rumors". www.mlbtraderumors.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020.
  17. ^ "Rays set rosters for four minor-league teams".
  18. ^ "Rays Trade Willy Adames to Brewers". May 21, 2021.
  19. ^ "Rays Promote Taylor Walls, Claim Deivy Grullon from Mets". May 22, 2021.
  20. ^ "Rays 3, Blue Jays 1: Taylor-made debut for Walls". May 22, 2021.
  21. ^ "Rays activate SS Wander Franco from IL". May 28, 2024.
  22. ^ "Rays' Taylor Walls questionable for opening day after hip surgery". tampabay.com. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  23. ^ "Rays Select Erasmo Ramirez". mlbtraderumors.com. April 20, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  24. ^ "Rays Designate Harold Ramirez For Assignment". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  25. ^ "Tears of joy: Taylor Walls shares MLB promotion in emotional Facetime call to family".
  26. ^ "With Taylor Walls on baby duty, Rays summon Tristan Gray".
  27. ^ Reyes, Lorenzo (March 24, 2022). "Tampa Bay Rays' Taylor Walls sides with Fla. Gov Ron DeSantis on controversial transgender issue". USA Today. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
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