Samad Taylor will make his first start for the San Diego Padres on Sunday, June 7, 2026, taking the left-field job and batting eighth in the series finale against the Mets at 1:10 p.m. on Padres.TV; his paternal grandmother, Sheila Marshall, planned to commute from Los Angeles to see him play in person.
The moment carries weight because Taylor has lived on the margins of the Padres’ offense since joining the club — two plate appearances and one strikeout — and he has not played this close to home since his major-league debut in 2023. Still, the 27-year-old arrives in the lineup off a strong Triple-A run: he hit.319/.406/.500 with seven homers in 51 games at Triple-A El Paso and swiped nine bases in 10 attempts there. "It's another day of baseball, but it's a meaningful day," Taylor said, adding plainly, "My grandma's my everything."
Taylor’s path to Sunday’s start traces back to Corona High, where he was drafted in the 10th round by Cleveland in 2016. He has a family history tied to the game: his other grandmother, Odeal Johnson, died in 2017. Taylor compared the occasion to his debut — "It compares to my debut" — and called his grandmother "my last grandma here," saying, "I feel like our connection has been strong ever since I could remember." Those lines explain why a routine slot in a late spot in the order matters beyond the box score.
The team context nudges the moment toward consequence. San Diego snapped a six-game skid on Saturday and is chasing its first series win since taking two of three from the Athletics at Petco Park from May 22-24. The Mets, for their part, planned to use an opener before left-hander Sean Manaea in the 1:10 p.m. start, which will shape Taylor’s early at-bats and any matchup advantages the Padres hope to exploit. Taylor will bat between Jase Bowen and Freddy Fermin, a place in the order that suggests a limited but specific role: provide defense, speed and a chance to spark the bottom of the lineup.
The friction in the story is obvious: this emotional first start arrives after essentially no mainstream opportunity with the big-league club. Two plate appearances are not a sample, and one strikeout is not a verdict. Taylor’s Triple-A work showed versatility — he played all three outfield spots and second base at El Paso — and a track record of speed, including 50 steals in Triple-A Tacoma in 2024. He framed his approach simply: "Control what I can control, and that's it," and promised to "be the best version of myself every day" and give "100%" in whatever role he’s asked to fill.
Practical details for viewers: Taylor starts in left and hits eighth, the game is the series finale at 1:10 p.m. on Padres.TV, and the matchup will begin with the Mets’ opener ahead of Manaea. Fans coming to the park or watching at home should note that Taylor’s immediate impact will be measured in a handful of plate appearances, any attempts to swipe a bag, and how the Padres deploy him defensively against the opener’s strategy.
The unresolved question entering Sunday is straightforward and consequential: will this first start, under the gaze of a grandmother who traveled to see him, be the start of a longer look for Taylor or a single meaningful day? The box score and the manager’s next-lineup moves will answer whether the Padres see enough in this one start to turn a Triple-A hot streak and family milestone into sustained opportunity.
