Grant Taylor gets win in relief against Mets

Taylor struck out two of the four batters he faced in bouncing back from a cheap blown save Tuesday. He’ll rest Thursday, which could lead to a save chance of Bryan Hudson or Jordan Hicks.

It’s a little unfair to give Taylor the blown save, as the damage was really done by Bryan Hudson; who gave up three runs without getting an out. Having said that, it was Taylor who gave up the game-tying two-run single to Tyler Stephenson, so it’s his first blown save of 2026. He hurled a scoreless ninth to keep the White Sox alive, and there’s no reason to think Taylor isn’t going to get the bulk of save chances going forward.

Taylor allowed a hit, but kept the runner at bay while picking up his sixth save of the campaign and lowering his ERA to 2.28. He’s looked the part in 2026 and should get the bulk of chances down the stretch, and it would be a pretty big surprise if Taylor wasn’t the full-time closer in Chicago for the foreseeable future.

The White Sox’s bullpen deployment is going to make fantasy managers pull their hair out. It seemed like the flame-throwing Grant Taylor had finally ascended to closing duties after being called upon in a save opportunity in four of his past five outings. Then, he entered this game in the seventh inning with a two-run lead and the top of the Rangers’ order coming up. He struck out five of the six batters he faced in two quick innings and handed the ball to Hudson for the save. It seems like this bullpen will continue to be a headache despite Taylor clearly being the best pitcher to roster in it.

Taylor came on with a 3-0 lead to protect but instantly made things more interesting by allowing two straight singles to open the inning, bringing the tying run to the dish. He then got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to line out to right field before getting Kazuma Okamoto to bounce into a game-ending double play to quell the threat. Taylor has clearly supplanted Seranthony Dominguez as the White Sox’ primary closer and should be utilized in all fantasy leagues at this stage.

Taylor took over with the tying run on third and one out in the eighth, putting him in prime position for a cheap blown save. However, he got out of the jam by striking out Shea Langeliers and getting Jonah Heim to ground out. He then walked one in a scoreless ninth that was made easier because the A’s took out decent left-handed hitters for weaker right-handed bats while trying to score off Sean Newcomb in the seventh. Seranthony Domínguez again went unused today, and Taylor is the pretty clear favorite for saves in Chicago, even if he’ll occasionally work earlier in games sometimes.

Taylor was summoned in the ninth inning to close out the game against the Guardians with a two-run lead. He struck out the first batter, then worked around a walk with two groundouts to secure the win for Chicago with his third save of the season. The 24-year-old right-hander is the only reliever worth rostering in the White Sox bullpen despite not working every save chance. He’s posted a 2.96 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 65/15 K/BB ratio across 45 2/3 innings.

Taylor was called upon in the eighth inning with the White Sox clinging to a one-run advantage. He issued a one-out walk to Steven Kwan but escaped any damage and recorded a pair of strikeouts. He was then sent back out for the ninth when trouble ensued. He issued a leadoff walk to Rhys Hoskins, then after retiring Kahlil Watson on a fly ball, served up Rocchio’s game-winning blast. It’s Taylor’s first loss on the season. Hopefully it won’t cost him save chances going forward, as he still seems to be the most capable option at the back of the White Sox’ bullpen.

There’s zero doubt that Taylor has the stuff to blossom into one of the premier relief pitchers in baseball. However, he seems unlikely to function as a traditional closer and the White Sox are always going to handle his workload with extreme caution. He won’t offer enough volume to be impactful in shallow mixed leagues, but he’s a decent ratio booster in deeper fantasy leagues.

Taylor took over on the mound for Chicago with the game tied at 1-1 in the eighth inning. He tossed two perfect frames, striking out four batters before the White Sox walked it off with a run in the bottom of the ninth, giving Taylor the victory. The 24-year-old right-hander has had some inconsistencies this season, but has been the best option for Chicago in the back end of the bullpen, posting a 2.83 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 60/12 K/BB ratio across 41 1/3 innings while converting two saves.