AL WILD CARD SERIES: BLUE JAYS VS TWINS

October 4, 2023

Michael A. Taylor

Target Field

Minnesota Twins

Pregame Press Conference

Q. From 2019, you guys had multiple games where you clenched. What's the mentality -- what's the winning mentality going into games when you clench?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: I think very similar to what we were thinking yesterday. We're just going to come in, play our game, be aggressive, look to execute our game plan.

Q. When you came in here, you kind of had the expectation of playing alongside Buck, sharing some of that playing time. What's it been like to kind of just watch him go through a season that's another tough season like this? And what have your conversations been like since he's forged the spot on the roster?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: It's tough. I see the work that he puts in to get his body ready. And a lot of the stuff that's happened has been out of his control. So it's hard.

But he's got a great attitude about it and he continues to work hard to put himself in a situation to help the team.

Q. We were discussing about how, when you make a catch like the first one where you came in yesterday, the crowd goes nuts, and you always look like the least impressed person in the ballpark. Does it seem difficult to you to make a play that amazes everyone?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: I'm just looking to make the play, and I want to catch everything. So I kind of get more upset when I don't than I get excited when I do. It's always been like that for me.

Q. It seems like kind of a curse, is it?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: It is. I get excited. I'm happy to make the play. Just never been a big fist-pump, pound-my-chest kind of guy.

Q. When you did get traded over, (indiscernible) talked about it, you splitting the time in center with Byron, what were your expectations when you got traded over for playing this year?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: I really didn't know what to expect. I knew this team from playing against them. I knew the guys that were here, so I don't really know what the team was expecting from me and what my role was going to be. And things were still even a little unclear when I got to Spring Training, but I was going to be ready for anything.

Q. Have you always been such a level-headed guy in situations like this? Have you always been this kind of guy, and what's gotten you to that position where you're just able to keep it cool like that?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: No, I think I was more of a hot head when I was younger. And kind of just growing up and learning that things are going to happen, you can't control everything. So that's helped me to be a little bit more even keeled.

Q. Is that in a baseball sense or just in general?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: More baseball. That seems to get me worked up a little bit more than most things.

Q. Any turning points in that sense?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: No, there really wasn't one turning point. I know when I was young I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed. And then just kind of growing up and understanding that the process is more important than the result and the growth is more important than the result. For me, the result is just information to get me set next level and help me grow.

Q. You guys really picked it up the second half -- that series in Oakland. Seems like it's kept going. What do you think have been the keys to this team's sustained success?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: I think it's the process. We weren't getting the result early in the season, but we stuck with our plan. We made some adjustments, mainly on the hitting side, the way we game plan and things like that.

But we were able to stay even and believe in ourselves the whole time and knowing that things were going to change if we kept working, and here we are.

Q. How frustrating or difficult maybe was June? It seemed like Tampa, there was the Atlanta series, just going through that month?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: I mean, there's really no time in the season where I felt like we were down on ourselves. We had a couple of team meetings around that time that you're talking about. But the atmosphere, the attitudes were still great and we never doubted what we were capable of doing.

Q. You've played behind some great pitchers in Washington especially. How would you compare Sonny alongside those guys?

MICHAEL A. TAYLOR: He's up there with them. Stuff-wise, it's unbelievable to be able to watch the way he can move the baseball. I got to face him so I saw it firsthand. And it's impressive. He's got great stuff. He's got great control. He understands hitter swings, and he's able to read swings and kind of make adjustments while he's on the mound. So he's got everything.