The Kansas City Royals faced off against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday in the MLB debut of Royals second base prospect Samad Taylor. Royals fans have had very little to cheer about this season, but Taylor gave them a reason for excitement with his first career hit, which just so happened to be a walk-off.
Taylor came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning in a tie game with a runner on third base and only one out. He had an opportunity that any debuting player would love to have, and he certainly took full advantage of it.
The 24-year-old rookie hit the ball over the head of Angels center fielder Mike Trout, bringing in third base runner Maikel Garcia to send the home crowd at Kauffman Stadium home happy.
Many around the MLB world took notice of the awesome moment and praised Taylor for coming through for his team when it mattered most.
It’s obviously an awesome moment for anyone to get their first hit. Doing so on a walk-off for the home crowd is pretty exceptional. Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. realized the importance of the moment, running out to center field to go and retrieve the ball he hit for him.
Taylor was interviewed after his memorable moment, where he was at a loss for words when asked just how special the hit was to him.
“This is something that you don’t even dream of,” said Taylor. “I have no words, I can just thank god that’s it. I don’t remember anything. After I made contact, I don’t remember anything.”
It is a moment that he will surely never forget, and Royals fans will hope that he can continue to have this kind of impact for years to come.