Miami Hurricanes baseball received a significant boost this week with the official commitment of UNLV right-hander Michael Taylor. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and hailing from Somerset County, New Jersey, Taylor brings an intriguing mix of experience. He spent four seasons at Fordham as an infielder before making the switch to pitching at UNLV.
I am extremely excited to announce my commitment to The University of Miami! I am so grateful for this opportunity and would like to thank the coaching staff for making me a Hurricane! @CanesBaseball pic.twitter.com/4sbLXaCZq7
— Michael Taylor (@michaeltaylo24) June 14, 2025
This past season, he recorded a 3.86 ERA with 27 strikeouts over 21 innings of relief duty. He allowed 18 hits, conceded 10 runs (9 earned), issued 13 walks, and struck out 27 batters. Taylor routinely sits in the low 90s with his fastball and throws a sharp cutter. That combination, paired with his imposing frame, gives him the physical and technical foundation to succeed in the ACC. At 24 years old during the upcoming season, Taylor will be one of the veterans in the bullpen.
Prior to pitching at UNLV, Taylor was a full-time batter who fielded at third and first base. He began his college baseball career at Fordham in 2021, where he appeared in 7 games, going 2-for-5 (.400) with a double and 1 RBI. In 2022, he saw more action with 26 games played, posting a .239 batting average, .390 OBP, and .435 slugging percentage across 46 at-bats. In 2023, Taylor logged 35 games with 20 hits in 96 at-bats, hitting .208 with 1 home run and 14 RBIs. His final college season at Fordham in 2024 saw more limited production with 3 hits in 35 at-bats (.086) over 17 games.
Across five college seasons, Taylor posted a .198 batting average with 36 hits, 7 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 home runs in 182 official at-bats. Before transitioning to pitching at UNLV, Taylor pitched a little bit in the summer of 2022 for Bergen in the ACBL. In 2022, he had a 2.08 ERA in 8.2 innings pitched.