Spent the 2020 season, limited by the COVID-19 outbreak, working manual labor at an aerospace engineering company, lifting and drilling holes as well as moving heavy equipment for the maintenance of fighter jets. He worked ..Played college baseball at the University of Southern California where he combined to bat .272 with 14 HR and 74 RBI over 141 collegiate games for the Trojans (2016-18)...Twice knocked in the game-winning run while playing against UCLA in a crosstown rivalry game at the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic. First time came on March 5, 2017 where he recorded three RBI, two on a triple, and a third RBI for the 10th inning game-winner in a 4-3 victory. The second came on an 8th inning solo home run on March 11, 2018, to break a 2-2 tie...Played for Orleans in the Cape Cod League in 2017, batting .252 with a .457 on-base percentage in 35 games...Played for La Crosse in the Northwoods Lg. as a freshman...As a prep, played shortstop for El Segundo High School...Was a two-time league Most Valuable Player in football and baseball at El Segundo High School, leading the football team to a 10-0 regular season record and the CIF semi-finals in 2013 as a dual-threat quarterback sporting a 4.7-40 yard time while passing for 3,000 yards his junior season and 2,002 yards and 25 touchdowns his senior season...His brother, Nigel, was the tight end in high school football and also pitched for the USC Trojans (2012-14). Nigel was a 12th round selection of the Baltimore Orioles in 2014, playing two professional seasons in the minors with Aberdeen and Delmarva before finishing his career in Independent Ball with Normal and Lincoln...His first name comes from his great-great grandfather on the Dutch side of his family. His mother, Kumi, is full-blooded Japanese, in reference to his double middle name Taylor-Tatsuji. ..Resides in El Segundo, California.
2021
Made his Major League debut at Comerica Park on June 22 vs. Detroit. Collected his first hit the following afternoon (6/23) in his first start, a triple at Comerica Park becoming the first Cardinal to triple for his first MLB hit since pitcher Daniel Ponce de Leon...Was invited to Major League Spring Training and spent the first month of the season at the Alternate Training Site before reporting to Memphis (AAA)...His first career home run was a pinch-hit shot at PNC Park (8/12). Would hit his second pinch-hit homer the next day at Kansas City (8/13), becoming the 69th player in MLB history to hit a home run in exactly one plate appearance in consecutive games...Was part of three Cardinals back-to-back home runs, including twice in the second game of a doubleheader on 9/24 at Chicago Cubs, his first career multi-home run game...Snapped an 0-for-23 slide with a multi-homer game at Wrigley Field (9/24) in Game 2 of the doubleheader. Finished the season batting .444 (8-18) in his final seven games...Batted .346 (9-26) with RISP and .385 (5-13) w/ 2 outs...Recorded three outfield assists with two in his first four games...Suffered a right hand injury (5/28-6/13) after fouling a pitch off at Memphis (AAA)...Played for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League and was named a Rising Star. Hit a lead-off home run in his second game on the first pitch, part of a multi-home run effort at Peoria. ..Hit for the cycle at Scottsdale (10/29) with a double, triple, game-tying home run in the 9th inning and an infield single in the 11th inning, following a four-pitch walk to lead-off the game.
2020
Did not play due to the COVID-19 canceling the minor league season.
2019
Advanced three levels during the 2019 season, starting in Peoria (A) playing in 29 games, then advanced to Palm Beach (A) where he played in 39 games and finished the season in Springfield (AA) playing in 33 games, where he posted his highest on-base percentage at .373...Led all Palm Beach outfielders with 10 outfield assists in 2019, while playing in only 39 games. Had a career-best 16 outfield assists on the season...Drew a career-high four walks vs. Quad Cities (4/22/19).
