PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Cory Taylor, Aces
Cory Taylor ranks among the top two Aces in most offensive categories, including average, slugging, OPS, home runs, RBIs, doubles, and stolen bases.
By Marc Goldstein
Hitting is a pure art form.
In that regard, Cory Taylor (Eastern Michigan) has been one of the best pure artists in the Cal Ripken Sr. League this summer. Taylor’s bat has been a huge reason that the Alexandria Aces (23-2) have gotten off to a blazing hot start to the season as they defend their first title in franchise history.
His journey, though, has been far from smooth; he was actually a member of the 2022 Aces team that lifted the trophy a year ago, albeit in limited capacity due to a broken hand that largely kept him out of commission.
“He had a really tough summer for us last year,” Aces Manager Chris Berset said of Taylor. “It is just a testament to how resilient he is…I pretty much got him at the last minute, but I am so glad that I did. He is just a student of the game… he has really turned it on here of late.”
The Shelbyville, Indiana, product has come back to the DMV for another summer as he looks to help the Aces recapture the magic from last season. For all that he has done for the Aces, Taylor thinks it is impossible without the strong spring he had in Ypsilanti, Michigan, for the Eagles.
“I came off a really solid year at (Eastern Michigan),” Taylor said. “I got a lot of experience on how to deal with the ups and downs of baseball and just trusting my abilities rather than overthinking things.”
Taylor had more than just a “solid” junior season, hitting .297 with seven home runs and 32 RBI while also stealing 12 bases.
His success has carried over into the CRSCBL as he has hit .356 with six doubles, four homers and 18 RBI while stealing 16 bases through July 11.
His entire journey of simply playing in the Cal Ripken Sr. League is almost by chance or even dumb luck. His former college coach at Eastern Michigan, Eric Roof, played at Michigan State while Berset played for rival Michigan. As both players were catchers, a natural gravitational pull formed and a friendship then emerged.
Over the years since Berset was named manager of the Aces, Roof has sent numerous players to play for his former rival. Although Eastern Michigan parted ways with Roof after the 2022 season, Taylor and college teammate Evan Sines both fell in love with the CRSCBL and decided to return for 2023.
That being said, the two weren’t originally supposed to play for the Aces this summer. The league the two Eagles were originally lined up to play in changed their eligibility requirements to solely permit freshmen and sophomores. After an early season series at Towson University, Taylor and Sines – both rising seniors now – reconnected with Berset and then decided to play for the Aces.
The entire Aces roster is similar to Taylor – a charismatic, boisterous group that genuinely loves to play baseball and shows it daily. Taylor brings a lightheartedness that makes teammates and opponents alike gravitate to him. He can often be seen talking to opponents when on the basepaths or in the field. This demeanor is unlike any other team in the league, and the Aces’ success this season has eased any tension that comes with a title defense.
One of Taylor’s best tools? His athleticism. He has stolen 16 bases this season, only one behind the league lead in the category. He is able to read pitchers’ first movement to time up a good jump. Additionally, he has an excellent sense of when to take the extra base on a ball in play, rarely running into outs on the bases.
He has a true case for being one of the most well-rounded players in the entire league. As someone who has gap-to-gap power, rangy athleticism and a physique made for baseball, Taylor is a prototypical middle of the order bat. He ranks among the top five hitters league-wide in batting average, home runs, and RBIs, as one of the central forces of the best lineup in the league. The biggest thing, though, that impressed everyone about Taylor: his leadership.
“He is always in Primetime, my facility,” Berset said. “He is always hitting and getting his work in and even helping with our camps. Those are the guys who work really hard and deserve (it)... that just shows what type of ballplayer he has become.”