“My personal goal is to win the KBO League’s pitching Gold Glove Award. As far as I know, NC Dinos’ foreign pitchers Eric Peddy and Kyle Hart have won this award in the past, and I want to continue this trend.”
Can Curtis Taylor (Canada) become a super ace in the calling league like Peddie and Hart?
Taylor, who is 198 centimeters tall and weighs 106 kilograms, was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks 119 times in 4 rounds in the 2016 draft. He is a right-handed pitcher.
Although I didn’t step on the stage of Major League Baseball (MLB), my experience was very gorgeous. He has played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins and other teams, and is active in the second-tier professional leagues in the United States.
Taylor, who has since played in the Mexican League, is playing this year with the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor league affiliate. In 31 Triple A games (137.1 innings), he achieved 10 wins, 4 losses, 1 save, and an earned run average of 3.21. The total record of the second-tier Major League Baseball team in the United States is 213 games played (44 starts), 26 wins and 25 losses, and an average earned run average of 3.48.
The most important thing is that Taylor’s most powerful weapon is his fast ball with a maximum ball speed of 154 kilometers and an average of 151 to 152 kilometers. In addition, sweepers, Carters, sinkers, and changeups are also used to compete with batters based on powerful fastballs. Some evaluations say that the ball control ability has also been stabilized. And Taylor now wears the NC team uniform with a total of US$900,000 (contract bonus of US$280,000, annual salary of US$420,000, and options of US$200,000).
NC team leader Lin Shannan said, “Taylor is a pitcher who can throw about 150 kilometers of powerful fastballs and various change balls based on excellent physical conditions. He uses 5 types of pitches at the same time and has excellent ball control skills. He can not only rely on the batter and power to decide the victory, but also has the ability to induce casual hits. I look forward to him playing a huge role on the NC pitching pedal in the 2026 season.”
Taylor said, “I am very happy to be given the opportunity to join the NC team this season. It is very exciting to play baseball in a new country, experience the beautiful and unique Korean culture, and challenge the high-level stage of the KBO. I just want to start next year’s season as soon as possible.”
I heard that I already know a lot about Korean culture. He said: “After growing up in Vancouver, I have lived in very diverse cultures since I was a child, one of which is Korean culture. Korean food, fashion and film industry are the parts that particularly impress me. Director Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite”, “Memories of Murder”, “Mickey 17” and other works are also beautiful and influential movies that I personally like very much. “
He went on to say, “I learned a lot about the KBO mainly by playing with or against the players who played for the KBO before. I faced Kim Hye-sung and Kim Ha-sung directly, and I could feel what level of talent the KBO players have. I also often heard stories about the KBO from my teammates who were foreign players, and everyone talked about their experience in this league very well. I am really looking forward to the beginning of this journey in person.”
The goal is to wear the Golden Glove in the pitching department like Peddie and Hart when the NC team wins the championship. Peddie and Hart will serve as super aces in the 2023 and 2024 seasons respectively, leading the NC team’s starting lineup. First, Uwang Peddy achieved the Triple Crown with 20 wins (1st), 6 losses, 209 strikeouts (1st), and an ERA of 2.00 (1st) and successfully entered the top league. Hart, a left-handed pitcher, also achieved 13 wins and 3 losses, an ERA of 2.69, and 182 strikeouts, and committed to the Major League Baseball. In addition to the two players, NC has also created several successful cases of foreign pitchers before.
Taylor said, “As a team, my goal is to achieve the Korean round-robin championship and add a second championship title in the history of the Dinosaurs. I personally hope to get the pitcher’s Golden Glove Award in the KBO League. As far as I know, the NC team’s foreign pitchers Peddy and Hart won this award in the past, and I also want to continue this trend.”
Finally, he said, “dinos fans, I’m really looking forward to meeting you all in Changwon. Many people say that the energy shown on the court is very great. This season I want everyone to see how proud I am on and off the court.”
In addition, the NC team also announced on the 11th that it has renewed the contracts of foreign aid hitter Matt Davidson and foreign aid pitcher Riley Thompson. He signed with Davidson for a one-year total of US$1.3 million (signing bonus of US$325,000, annual salary of US$975,000), and with Riley for a one-year total of US$1.25 million (signing bonus of US$400,000, annual salary of US$600,000). Signed the option for $250,000.
At this point, the NC team has completed the formation of all foreign players. Asia has previously introduced Todanacki. Toda, who plays for the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Yomiuri Giants, is a right-handed pitcher who recorded 1 win and 1 loss in 19 games (27.2 innings) in three seasons with NPB and an ERA average of 5.53. This year he participated in 35 games (7 starts and 81.2 innings), achieving 4 wins and 4 losses, an ERA of 2.4273, no strikeouts, and 14 batters.
[MK体育记者 李汉柱]
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