![\"Samad](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SUT-L-padres-0610-MM-016.jpg\")
Samad Taylor #0 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after a single during the tenth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\nSamad Taylor signed a minor league contract with the Padres in January. A 27-year-old journeyman, Taylor was originally selected by the Cleveland Guardians in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017, the Kansas City Royals in 2022 and the Seattle Mariners in 2024. He made his major league debut with the Royals in 2023.<\/p>\n
A native of Corona, Taylor played for the same San Gabriel Valley travel ball organization as Padres first baseman Ty France. Since being called up in early June, he has made an impact with timely at-bats, small ball and strong defense. His energy and positive presence on the field and in the clubhouse have earned him the nickname \u201cSparkplug.\u201d<\/p>\n
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n
Were you always good at baseball growing up, and did you play any other sports?<\/p>\n
A: I was always good, but I felt growing up I was a little better at soccer at the time. Soccer was really the love. I had a couple neighbors that lived across the street that were soccer players, so I was always playing with them and I just fell in love with the game of soccer. But I would like to say that baseball talent took over, just being super-athletic. I wasn\u2019t always fast, so I gained speed over time, but just to be super athletic and go out there and be on the field \u2014 you\u2019re on a big diamond just having fun, and the talent showed once I got a little older in baseball.<\/p>\n
My dad and mom, everything was baseball, baseball, baseball. My parents pushed me a lot to become the player that I am now. And when I hit 15, 16 (years old), that summer I went to Jupiter, Fla. I played a tournament and (there were) the most scouts I think I\u2019ve ever seen in my life. And it was just like, \u201cOh my gosh, this is where I\u2019m at, this is what I want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
What do you remember about the day you were drafted?\u00a0<\/p>\n
A: It\u2019s funny. Dad was at work, mom was at work, sister was at work. My sister\u2019s college roommate was down visiting, and it was just me and her at home. The first day happened \u2014 you wish you\u2019d go the first day and you don\u2019t go the first day. (I was) down a little, and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh well, what\u2019s the next step?\u2019 Then the Guardians called. The agent I had at the time was like, \u201cHey, this is what they got.\u201d\u00a0 I was 17 years old when I graduated high school. When you hear any sort of money number, knowing that it\u2019s going to be your money, it\u2019s like, \u201cWhoa.\u201d I had a desire to go to college \u2014 I was committed to the University of Arizona \u2014 but once I heard my name and that there was a possibility of me getting drafted, college kind of was in the back of my head. I just wanted to chase my dream. My ultimate dream was to get drafted and make it to the big leagues and I\u2019ve achieved both of those goals.<\/p>\n
You were introduced to the business of baseball early when you were traded to the Toronto Blue Jays a year after you were drafted. How did you process that at the time?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0You get drafted, that\u2019s a check mark, and then you don\u2019t really think about trades. I thought trades only happen in the big leagues, so I really didn\u2019t know (anything) about minor league trades. You build bonds and relationships with teammates \u2026 I had a group of guys that I was real jarred in with. And then you go to sleep and you wake up, and (snaps fingers) you\u2019re on a flight going somewhere else. It was a wild, wild experience and moment at that time. When it happened, I was sad for a second, just down. Like, \u201cDang, they gave up on me already,\u201d not knowing everything that goes into it. I was supposed to go to Vancouver, Canada, at that time. So I\u2019m going from Ohio to Canada. And it\u2019s a blink of an eye. I was getting ready for a game when I got traded. I was walking to the (batting) cage and the manager came and got me from the cage and sat me in his office. He was on the phone and he\u2019s like, \u201cHey, we traded you to the Toronto Blue Jays.\u201d And the host family that I was staying with \u2014 still to this day, I\u2019m super close with them \u2014 they made it easier on me. \u2026 I didn\u2019t have a passport, so now I gotta go to Bluefield, W. Va., and that was a place where I thought I was gonna end my career and hang it up. Because you go from a good city to a city where there\u2019s nothing. The travel\u2019s terrible. It was just all rough at that time. Then a week later, I got my passport and went to Vancouver and won a championship there, so it was great.<\/p>\n
Samad Taylor #0 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after a single during the tenth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
Did you play in Australia during the COVID-19 season?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0Yep. In 2019 at the end of the season \u2026 (the Blue Jays) contacted me and said, \u201cHey, do you want to go play in Australia?\u201d And I mean, yeah. Like, we\u2019re talking about another country. So I went down there, played there for three months of the winter and then came back. When I came back, America was dead smack in the worst part of our COVID phase. It was like, \u201cWhoa.\u201d \u2026 (Australia) was a great experience. I would go back again for sure to visit Australia, but coming home was just rough. Coming from freedom to isolation.<\/p>\n
At that time, the baseball talent and level (in Australia) wasn\u2019t what it is now. I\u2019ve had a couple teammates and buddies that have gone and played recently, and they said the talent is way better (now) than what it was when I went. But Australia\u2019s a beautiful place. I feel like we get lost in everything that is talked about on social media \u2014 kangaroos fighting, driving on the opposite side of the road, spiders, insects, snakes \u2014 if you can get past that, you\u2019d love Australia. Australia\u2019s the top three places that I think I\u2019ve ever stepped foot on.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t forget the Vegemite.<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0I can\u2019t do the Vegemite. They were trying to get me on it. I took a bite, and I can\u2019t do the Vegemite. But Australia has the best seafood I think I\u2019ve ever ate in my life.<\/p>\n
The Blue Jays traded you to the Royals. So now you\u2019re in your seventh minor league season and you\u2019ve been traded multiple times. Were you at a point where you thought to yourself, \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019m going to make it to the major leagues?\u201d<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0Yes and no. I say yes, just on the strength of (how) you grind all the time to get to a certain point in your career and certain things don\u2019t happen and you start to have doubt. But I say no just on the strength of: I\u2019m a forever fighter. Whatever\u2019s thrown at me, I just kind of roll with the punches and maneuver my way and find another avenue. I always stood by God, stood by my parents, stood with my agent. They\u2019ve always pushed me to just keep going, keep going. Like yes, the light at the end of the tunnel may seem far, but you\u2019re taking steps closer to the light. And here we are.<\/p>\n
You recently put together a 12-game hitting streak, the longest by a Padres player this season. What was working so well for you during that stretch?<\/p>\n
A: I have fun. I\u2019m a kid at heart and this is a kid\u2019s game. I treat it like I\u2019m outside playing with my buddies just to stay away from the stress aspect of it. Because yes, you\u2019re in the big leagues. The big leagues are stressful. There\u2019s a lot of things that are going on. You may be hitting .400, you may be hitting .100. If I can find ways to not stress and dwell on the negative, I feel like I\u2019m in a great position. I\u2019ve been doing a pretty good job of just going out there, having fun, just being me. I\u2019m Samad Taylor. I\u2019m going to have fun. I\u2019m just a joyful guy when it comes to the baseball field. I just show up to the ballpark every day and tell myself, \u201cThis might be the last day, so have as much fun as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Have you always had this joyfulness when you\u2019re playing?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0Oh yeah. From Day 1. If you let my mom tell you, my mom will tell you I don\u2019t stop talking. But it\u2019s not that I don\u2019t stop talking, it\u2019s just that I\u2019m so happy and joyful to have the opportunity to come to a ballpark and play a kid\u2019s game every day. And just the reality of it:\u00a0\u00a0There\u2019s going to be a day where you have to hang your cleats up. I don\u2019t want that day to be sped up off of me not handling business the right way. So I just show up to the ballpark, do what I got to do and have fun. Whatever happens, happens.<\/p>\n
![\"Kansas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP23168862247097.jpg\")
Kansas City Royals\u2019 Samad Taylor, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a single to drive in the winning run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Saturday, June 17, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals won 10-9. (AP Photo\/Charlie Riedel)<\/p>\n
Your first major league hit was a walk-off for the Royals. Everyone went crazy. When you think back to that day, what stands out?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0It was just a dream come true. Going back to that moment, the only thing I can do is just thank God. He put me in a position to let my talent show. Yeah, it was a whirlwind. It was a moment I\u2019ll never forget. I don\u2019t try to think back too much about it, just because it puts you in that, \u201cWow, wow,\u201d and then you get away from what we\u2019re working on (today). But it was a great moment. I hit the ball and knew at that point the ball was deep enough to win the game and after that I blacked out. All I remember was first base coach Damon Hollins saying, \u201cTouch first base, touch first base!\u201d and then that was it. I turned to the dugout and the rest was history.<\/p>\n
You got traded again \u2014 this time to the Seattle Mariners \u2014 and played a handful of major league games in \u201924 and \u201925. You experienced quite a few call ups, demotions and roster moves in the minors. How did you handle that, and how did it ultimately shape you?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0I just rolled with the punches. Yeah, it sucks. You start to question, like, \u201cWhy me?\u201d \u2026 It shaped me tremendously. The worst of the worst has happened to me in my career. I don\u2019t really dwell on stuff that I can\u2019t control and I can\u2019t handle. The only thing I can handle and control is my effort and my attitude. I\u2019m gonna go out there, I\u2019m gonna give it my all every day, and I\u2019m gonna have a good attitude regardless of if things aren\u2019t going my way. Having those cups of coffee the three years prior to now were tough, just because you get to the big leagues and you want to contribute and you want to play yourself into a role of being on the field. I just felt like I didn\u2019t put myself necessarily in the best position to go out there and do that. But I\u2019ve taken drastic steps in the right direction of just being myself every day, regardless of wherever (I am) in the lineup. I just got to be myself every single day.<\/p>\n
What about you has changed the most over the past several years?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0Just attitude and understanding. Being young, as we all know, you think you know everything and you think you understand everything. But in reality, until you go through certain things in life, you don\u2019t really grasp and understand everything. I feel like that\u2019s the biggest thing that\u2019s changed in my life \u2014 not even just in my career; in my everyday life. Like, I don\u2019t dwell on things. Whatever\u2019s going to happen is going to happen. The script is already written. I just try to stay positive through everything.<\/p>\n
When you were first called up to the Padres, the team was going through a losing skid. You were in the clubhouse telling reporters, \u201cWe\u2019re going to turn it around, we\u2019ve got this.\u201d You were pumping guys up in the dugout; you were using ABS challenges late in games. What gives you the confidence to move like you do?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0I would say this year, especially, is having the staff behind you that trusts you. Not saying that previously the staff didn\u2019t trust me \u2026 But getting called up now, understanding where I\u2019m at in my career and understanding everything that I\u2019ve gone through in my career, you start to gain confidence from certain key folks that play a big role in your career. Shout out to (AJ) Preller and Craig (Stammen). When I first got called up, they said, \u201cBe you, keep doing you.\u201d And understanding that \u201cyou\u201d is good enough. That\u2019s the biggest thing. So, I just be myself. San Diego fans are gonna see that I just have fun. I don\u2019t really worry about a lot of things.<\/p>\n
Stealing bags and baserunning wasn\u2019t always a strength of your game. What kind of work went into developing that?<\/p>\n
A: It all goes back to understanding the player I am. Early in my career, you get to the minor leagues and you want to hit home runs, you want to do this, you want to do that. You don\u2019t get promoted. \u201cWhy am I not getting promoted?\u201d \u201cYou got to do this.\u201d So, I\u2019m gonna try to do that. I was just so far in what everybody else wanted instead of just doing what I know I do best. First year, I think I had six stolen bases. In short-season A (ball), I think I had (seven). And then I didn\u2019t get to double digits until 2018. I was in Low-A and I had 44 bags. Yes, I got thrown out a good amount of times, but (it) taught me the percentages of everything \u2026 That\u2019s really when I started to unlock that one last thing that needed to be unlocked. I unlocked it and I feel like I\u2019m a pretty good baserunner and base stealer.<\/p>\n
Did you work on speed too?\u00a0<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0Yes. I flat-out just did not know how to run. My head was all over the place. I ran side to side. It was bad. I had to learn how to run and learn how my body moved. Once I got a grasp of that, the rest was history.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds. I\u2019m sure people doubted you along the way. Did you doubt yourself?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0Never once have I doubted myself. But to what you said, growing up being the small guy, I was always told, \u201cYou\u2019re too small and you\u2019re never going to make it.\u201d I was always told negative things, so that kind of gives you a little glimpse and taste of why I fight the way I fight. I like to prove people wrong. I like to personally have the final say of, \u201cI told you. This is what I\u2019ve been working for. You may not have thought I would be able to do it, but now look at it. I\u2019m doing it.\u201d I love to be able to prove the people that doubted me wrong.<\/p>\n
It sounds like maybe this opportunity with the Padres is different just because you\u2019ve grown into yourself and who you are?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0One-thousand percent agree. You can\u2019t get somewhere if you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re going. I felt like early in my career, I didn\u2019t know where I was going. I was just going out there playing baseball hard and just doing what I was doing. When people started to guide me to certain avenues and certain routes and stuff like that, I feel like it helped me tremendously on just understanding who I am as a ballplayer.<\/p>\n
![\"Padres](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SUT-L-padres-0611-mm-018.jpg\")
Padres outfielder Samad Taylor makes a catch in the eighth inning against the Reds on Wednesday. (Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
What are you passionate about off the field?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0Video games, clothes and shoes, and perfume.<\/p>\n
What are your top recommendations in each category?<\/p>\n
A:\u00a0Video games, I\u2019m a \u201cCall of Duty\u201d and \u201cMLB: The Show\u201d guy. Shoes \u2014 right now, it\u2019s bad with shoes. Asics are comfortable. I\u2019m a big Jordan guy. My favorite Jordans ever are the Hot Punch 4s. Perfume: Bond No. 9 Greenwich Village. Favorite smell ever. But you can\u2019t go wrong with Baccarat. Those are the only two I can give you. The other ones I gotta keep low-key. I gotta smell like me, and that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n
Favorite big-league perk?<\/p>\n
A: There\u2019s a couple. Charter flights. \u2026 The food. I\u2019m gonna shout out our cooks in San Diego. I can\u2019t speak for everybody else, but the San Diego Padres have the best cooks. And three, honestly, just being around a good group of guys. You look at our staff and you look at our roster \u2014 you have every type of personality in our locker room and I feel like we all come together. It\u2019s a blast in the locker room. It\u2019s a blast just to be able to come to the ballpark and call these guys your bros and your teammates, knowing that you\u2019re going out on the field every day and you guys are fighting with the same fight and pulling from the same rope. It makes everything better when you\u2019re in the big leagues and you\u2019re doing those things.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Samad Taylor signed a minor league contract with the Padres in January. A 27-year-old journeyman, Taylor was originally…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":350831,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[181,1334,74,76,75,2611,127,1696],"class_list":["post-384113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-latest-headlines","tag-mlb","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news","tag-san-diego-padres","tag-sports","tag-top-stories-sdut"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/350831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}