{{short description|American baseball player (born 1989)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name = Travis Taijeron |image = TravisTaijeron2016.jpg |caption = Taijeron with the New York Mets |position = Outfielder |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|1|20}} |birth_place = La Mesa, California, U.S. |bats = Right |throws = Right |debutleague = MLB |debutdate = August 26 |debutyear = 2017 |debutteam = New York Mets | finalleague = MLB | finaldate = October 1 | finalyear = 2017 | finalteam = New York Mets |statleague = MLB |stat1label = Batting average |stat1value = .173 |stat2label = Home runs |stat2value = 1 |stat3label = Runs batted in |stat3value = 3 |teams = * New York Mets ({{mlby|2017}}) }} '''Travis Nathaniel Taijeron''' (born January 20, 1989) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets.
==Career== He was born in La Mesa, California and attended Granite Hills High School, where he was a catcher.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/45477/farm-report-taijerons-long-ball-roots|title=Farm report: Taijeron's long ball roots|date=16 May 2012|publisher=|access-date=November 19, 2016}}</ref> Before playing professionally, he attended Grossmont College in 2008, where he spent a year and played for their baseball team. In 32 games, he posted a slash line of .382/.472/.563. He transferred to Southwestern College in 2009 and hit .353/.453/.601 in 42 games. For 2010, he transferred to Cal Poly Pomona, hitting .345/.441/.670 with 16 home runs and 48 RBI in 52 games. He played 59 games in 2011 and hit .392/.534/.744 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=travis-taijeron|title=Travis Taijeron Baseball Statistics [2008–2016]|publisher=|access-date=November 19, 2016}}</ref> He earned numerous honors, including the 2010–11 California Collegiate Athletic Association Male Athlete of the Year, 2011 CCAA Most Valuable Player and Daktronics American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association West Region Player of the Year and an NCAA Division II All-American selection by Daktronics, the NCBWA and the ABCA.
===New York Mets=== The New York Mets drafted him in the 18th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft and assigned him to the Brooklyn Cyclones of the Low-A New York-Penn League. In 56 games, he hit .299/.387/.557 with nine home runs and 44 RBI. He earned his first Player of the Week honor that season, was named a MiLB.com Organization All-Star and was a New York–Penn League Mid-Season All-Star. He hit .255/.362/.477 with 19 home runs and 65 RBI in 112 games split between the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats and High-A St. Lucie Mets in 2012, won another Player of the Week and was a South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star. In 2013, he hit .271/.356/.531 with 38 doubles, 23 home runs, 69 RBI and 131 strikeouts in 120 games split between St. Lucie and the Double-A Binghamton Mets. He was a Player of the Week twice and was again a MiLB.com Organization All-Star. With Binghamton in 2014, he hit .248/.357/.476 with 15 home runs and 64 RBI in 101 games and earned another Player of the Week selection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wnbf.com/travis-taijeron-earns-eastern-league-honors/|title=Travis Taijeron Earns Eastern League Honors|date=15 July 2014 |publisher=|access-date=November 19, 2016}}</ref> He began 2015 with Las Vegas, his first stay at Triple-A. In his first 15 games, he hit .352/.419/.667.
He is projected to be, at minimum, a fourth outfielder and a power bat off the bench with the potential to be an effective starting outfielder with 20-home run power.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metsminors.net/mmn-top-40-prospects-no-29-travis-taijeron/|title=MMN Top 40 Prospects: No. 29 Travis Taijeron - MetsMinors.net|date=29 October 2013|publisher=|access-date=November 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://macksmets.blogspot.com/2014/02/mms-top-25-21-of-travis-taijeron.html|title=MM's Top 25- #21 OF Travis Taijeron|first=Christopher|last=Soto|date=10 February 2014|publisher=|access-date=November 19, 2016}}</ref> He has been listed on numerous Mets top prospect lists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://risingapple.com/2012/04/17/fresh-apples-travis-taijeron/|title=Fresh Apples: Travis Taijeron|first=4 Years|last=Ago|date=April 17, 2012|publisher=|access-date=November 19, 2016}}</ref>
He was called up to the Major Leagues for the first time on August 26, 2017, when fellow outfielder Yoenis Céspedes landed on the disabled list.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Helfand|first1=Betsy|title=New York Mets call up OF Travis Taijeron from Las Vegas|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/51sbaseball/new-york-mets-call-up-of-travis-taijeron-from-las-vegas/|access-date=27 September 2017|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=28 August 2017}}</ref> He made his Major League debut that day against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Carig|first1=Marc|title=Taijeron makes MLB debut in Mets' loss to Nats|url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/travis-taijeron-makes-mlb-debut-in-mets-loss-to-nationals-c11809|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928005909/http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/travis-taijeron-makes-mlb-debut-in-mets-loss-to-nationals-1.14092401|url-status=live|archive-date=September 28, 2017|access-date=27 September 2017|work=Newsday|date=August 26, 2017}}</ref> He recorded his first hit on August 31 against Robert Stephenson of the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.<ref>{{cite news|title=Reds clinch winning month with rout of Mets|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/bbo-mets-reds-writethru/reds-clinch-winning-month-with-rout-of-mets-idUSMTZED8VKELXVP|access-date=27 September 2017|work=Reuters|date=August 31, 2017}}</ref> On September 27, Taijeron hit a ninth inning walk-off single against A. J. Minter of the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Puma|first1=Mike|title=Struggling rookie gets walk-off hit to propel Mets|url=https://nypost.com/2017/09/26/struggling-rookie-gets-walk-off-hit-to-propel-mets/|access-date=27 September 2017|work=New York Post|date=27 September 2017}}</ref> On October 25, Taijeron was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Las Vegas.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mets Outright Five Players|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/10/mets-outright-five-players.html|access-date=November 18, 2025|website=mlbtraderumors.com|language=en}}</ref> He elected free agency following the season on November 6.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Minor League Free Agents 2017|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-free-agents-2017/?amphtml|access-date=June 27, 2023|website=baseballamerica.com|date=7 November 2017 |language=en}}</ref>
===Los Angeles Dodgers=== Taijeron signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on November 20, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-nov-21-26-2017/#51r0Tf2fPGqmib7U.97|title=MINOR LEAGUE TRANSACTIONS Nov. 21-26|first=Matt|last=Eddy|work=Baseball America|date=November 29, 2017|access-date=November 29, 2017}}</ref> He played in 87 games for the Triple–A Oklahoma City Dodgers, hitting .269 with 11 homers and 44 RBI.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=0079f8cf|title=2018 Oklahoma City Dodgers Statistics|work=Baseball Reference|access-date=September 16, 2018}}</ref> Taijeron elected free agency following the season on November 2, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Minor League Free Agents 2018|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-free-agents-2018/|access-date=May 20, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|date=November 6, 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
===New York Mets (second stint)=== On March 16, 2019, Taijeron signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets and was assigned to Triple–A Syracuse Mets. In 123 games for the Triple–A Syracuse Mets, he batted .229/.364/.496 with 24 home runs and 70 RBI. Taijeron became a free agent following the season on November 4.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/minor-league-free-agents-2019/|title=Minor League Free Agents 2019|author=Matt Eddy|website=Baseball America|date=November 7, 2019|access-date=November 7, 2019}}</ref>
Taijeron re-signed with the Mets organization on a new minor league contract March 13, 2020. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-canceled|access-date=June 27, 2023|website=mlb.com|language=en}}</ref> Taijeron was released by the Mets organization on May 28.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mets Release 39 Minor Leaguers|url=https://metsminors.net/mets-release-39-minor-leaguers/|access-date=March 1, 2024|website=metsminors.net.com|language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{baseballstats |mlb=607369 |espn=33358 |br=t/taijetr01 |fangraphs=11935 |brm=taijer000tra}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taijeron, Travis}} Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Baseball players from La Mesa, California Category:Major League Baseball right fielders Category:New York Mets players Category:Grossmont Griffins baseball players Category:Southwestern Jaguars baseball players Category:Cal Poly Pomona Broncos baseball players Category:Brooklyn Cyclones players Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:Savannah Sand Gnats players Category:St. Lucie Mets players Category:Binghamton Mets players Category:Las Vegas 51s players Category:Caribes de Anzoátegui players Category:Oklahoma City Dodgers players Category:Syracuse Mets players Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela