Taijuan Emmanuel Walker (born August 13, 1992) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

and

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

. Walker made his MLB debut in 2013 and was an

All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...

in 2021. He has played for the

Mexico national baseball team The Mexico national baseball team (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Selección de béisbol de México'') is the baseball team that represents Mexico in international tournaments. It is currently the 2nd-ranked baseball team in the world. Current rost ...

Amateur career

Born in

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

, Walker's original love was

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

, until he began playing

at the age of 11. Walker attended Yucaipa High School in

Yucaipa, California Yucaipa ( Serrano: ''Yukaipa't'') is a city located east of San Bernardino, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 54,542 at the 2020 census, up from 51,367 at the 2010 census. Yucaipa has the distinction of ...

, where he was a

and

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

, as well as a two-sport athlete.

Professional career

Seattle Mariners

The

selected Walker in the first round, with the 43rd overall pick, of the

2010 MLB draft The 2010 Major League Baseball draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team picking first. ;Key ...

. Walker and the Mariners agreed to a deal that included an $800,000

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

. He made four appearances for the rookie-level

Arizona League Mariners The Arizona Complex League Mariners are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona. The team is comp ...

, all in

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

, and went 1–1 with a 1.29

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA). Walker was listed as one of the Mariners' top 10 prospects for the 2011 season, ranked fourth according to Baseball America. Prior to the 2012 season, he was ranked the second best prospect in the Mariners organization and the 20th best overall. Walker was selected to play in the 2012

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...

. After Walker pitched to a 5–3 win–loss record and a 3.61 ERA with 64

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

s in

innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...

for the

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, ...

of the Triple-A

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

, the Mariners promoted Walker on August 30, 2013. Walker pitched 5 innings against the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

, and yielded just 2 hits and struck out 2. Walker was called up when rosters expanded in September 2013. He started 3 games, finishing the season with a 3.60 ERA in 15 innings. On September 24, 2014, Walker pitched his first MLB

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

, allowing one run in a 1–0 loss against the

Rogers Centre Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a retractable roof stadium in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it is home to t ...

. Walker began the 2015 season as a member of the Mariners' starting rotation. In his first start, at Oakland, Walker gave up nine runs in innings. He followed that outing by giving up 5 runs in 4 innings against the Dodgers, causing some to question whether or not Walker was ready for the big leagues. Walker continued to struggle, pitching more than 6 innings only once through his first nine starts. However, Walker won five straight starts in June and July, improving his record from 2–6 to 7–6. Walker struggled after winning five straight, going 0–1 with an 8.02 ERA, but on July 31, he threw a complete game one-hitter (his only hit was a home run by Miguel Sano) against the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

Target Field Target Field is a baseball stadium in the North Loop, Minneapolis, historic warehouse district of downtown Minneapolis. Since its opening in 2010, the stadium has been the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins. It is named for Tar ...

. This time, his offense backed him up, as he won 6–1, striking out 11 only needing 100 pitches to do so. Overall, Walker finished the 2015 season with an 11–8 record despite posting a 4.56 ERA in 29 starts. Throughout the first half of the 2016 season, Walker battled with a foot injury. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on two occasions. He began the second half of the season on the disabled list. Before the all-star break, Walker had a 4–7 record despite a 3.66 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 86 innings. Walker was optioned to Triple-A on August 8, 2016. On September 13, 2016, Walker pitched his first career complete-game shutout in an 8–0 Mariners win over the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...

. He carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and a no-hitter into the seventh, finishing the game allowing no walks and three hits while striking out eleven batters.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On November 23, 2016, the Mariners traded Walker and Ketel Marte to the

for Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, and Zac Curtis. In 2017, his first season in Arizona, Walker made 28 starts, pitching to a 9–9 record in 157 innings. On April 15, 2018, Walker was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to right forearm tightness. Two days later, on April 17, it was revealed that Walker was diagnosed with a UCL injury in his right elbow. On April 18, it was revealed that Walker had a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow. The injury required Tommy John surgery, bringing Walker's 2018 season to a premature end. Following his Tommy John surgery, Walker appeared in one game for the Diamondbacks, the final game of the 2019 season. On December 2, Walker was non-tendered by Arizona and became a free agent.

Second stint with the Seattle Mariners

On February 4, 2020, Walker worked out for 20

scouts Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...

from major league teams. Walker signed a one-year contract for $2 million to return to the Seattle Mariners on February 12.

Toronto Blue Jays

On August 27, 2020, the Mariners traded Walker to the

for a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

or cash considerations. On September 1, 2020, Toronto sent Alberto Rodríguez to Seattle to complete the trade. On August 29, 2020, he made his Blue Jays debut against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

, he threw six scoreless innings, allowing four hits. With the 2020 Toronto Blue Jays, Walker appeared in 6 games, compiling a 2–1 record with 1.37 ERA and 25 strikeouts in innings pitched.

New York Mets

On February 20, 2021, Walker agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract with the

with a player option for the 2023 season. He was named to the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, replacing teammate Jacob deGrom. However, Walker's performance plummeted after the All-Star break; he posted a 7–3 record with a 2.66 ERA in the first half, and was 0–8 with a 7.13 ERA in the back half. He finished the 2021 season with a 7–11 record overall and a 4.47 ERA in 159 innings. After hurting himself swinging right-handed, Walker began batting left-handed in August 2021. As a bunter, however, he still does so right-handed. On November 7, 2022, Walker opted out of his contract with the Mets for the 2023 season and elected free agency.

Philadelphia Phillies

On December 16, 2022, Walker signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the

. He completed the 2023 regular season with a 15-6 record overall and a 4.38 ERA over 31 starts and did not pitch during the postseason. Walker began the 2024 regular season on the injured list due to right shoulder impingement but joined the starting rotation on April 28 after three rehab starts with Triple-A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

. He was placed on the injured list again as of June 22 with right index finger inflammation, after posting a 5.60 ERA in his 10 starts of the season and struggling with command over and velocity of his pitches. Upon returning from the injured list in August, Walker continued to struggle and was ultimately moved from the starting rotation to the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...

as a relief pitcher on August 29. With the Phillies in 2024, he was 3-7 with a 7.10 ERA, with a WHIP of 1.721, in 19 games. He was in the bottom 1% among MLB pitchers in average exit velocity (91.4 mph), whiff percentage (16.7%), and barrel percentage (13.4%), and in the bottom 3% in strikeout percentage (15.2%) and hard-hit percentage (46.3%). On May 7, 2025, Walker recorded his first career save after striking out seven over three innings of relief against the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

International career

Walker played for

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

in the

2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball tournament and the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It began on March 8, 2023, and ran until March 21. It was originally scheduled to take place in ...

. He started against Great Britain on March 14, giving up only one hit and striking out eight over four innings.

Scouting report

Walker throws a mid-90s

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch (baseball), pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the fastest ball thrown by a pitcher. It is s ...

, a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

, and a changeup. He has also begun to develop a sinker and

cut fastball Cut or CUT may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** ...

Personal life

Walker's father is Black and his mother half-Mexican, half-White. Raised by his single mother, Walker helped care for his younger siblings. Walker is a fan of the ''

Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...

'' and ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

'' franchises. Walker and his wife, Heather Restrepo, welcomed their first child, a son, in July 2017. They then welcomed a second son in early November 2020.

References

External links

MiLB.com Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Taijuan 1992 births Living people African-American baseball players American baseball players of Mexican descent Arizona Diamondbacks players Arizona League Mariners players Baseball players from San Bernardino County, California Baseball players from Shreveport, Louisiana Clearwater Threshers players Clinton LumberKings players High Desert Mavericks players Jackson Generals (Southern League) players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Major League Baseball pitchers New York Mets players People from Yucaipa, California Philadelphia Phillies players Seattle Mariners players Surprise Saguaros players Tacoma Rainiers players Toronto Blue Jays players 2023 World Baseball Classic players 21st-century African-American sportsmen World Baseball Classic players of Mexico