Tayler James Scott (born 1 June 1992) is a South African 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, ...

in 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 ...

organization. He has previously played in

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) 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 ...

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 ...

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

, and

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 ...

, and in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Hiroshima Toyo Carp The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda ...

. He is the first South African baseball pitcher in MLB and NPB history.

Career

Scott was born and raised in

Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

. He moved to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

when he was 16 to attend high school and play baseball. After moving, he attended Notre Dame Prep High School in

Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale is a city in eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott (chaplain), Winfield Scott, a retired Chaplain Corps (United States ...

. Scott initially committed to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Chicago Cubs

Scott was drafted by the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

in the 5th round of the

2011 MLB draft The 2011 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2011, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Gerrit Cole out of the University of California, Los Angeles, with the fi ...

. Scott played in the Cubs organization from 2011 through the 2015 season. During his time with them, he played for the

AZL Cubs The Arizona Complex League Cubs are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays it home games at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. The team is composed mainly of player ...

Boise Hawks The Boise Hawks are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. Home games are played at Memorial Stadium in unincorporated Ada County, Idaho, near ...

Kane County Cougars The Kane County Cougars are a professional baseball team located in Geneva, Illinois, and are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball (MLB). They play their home games a ...

Daytona Cubs Daytona may refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach, Florida * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Daytona, the region around Daytona Beach Motor racing * Day ...

Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of the National League in Major League Baseball. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games a ...

, and the

Tennessee Smokies The Knoxville Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The team was based in Kodak, Tennessee, a Knoxville suburb, fr ...

. He was released by the Cubs on 30 March 2016.

Sioux City Explorers

On 21 April 2016, Scott signed with the

Sioux City Explorers The Sioux City Explorers are a professional baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States. The Explorers are inaugural members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseba ...

of the

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

, an

independent baseball league An independent baseball league is a professional baseball league in the United States or Canada that is not overseen by Major League Baseball or its affiliated Minor League Baseball system (historically referred to as organized baseball). Inde ...

. In 17 relief appearances, he pitched to a 1.88 ERA while striking out 32 batters in innings.

Milwaukee Brewers

On 6 July 2016, Scott signed a minor league contract with the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

. During 2016, he played for the Double-A

Biloxi Shuckers The Biloxi Shuckers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League (1964–present), Southern League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Biloxi, Mississippi, and are named in ref ...

of the Southern League and the

Salt River Rafters The Salt River Rafters are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale, Arizona. ...

of the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

, and returned to Biloxi to begin the 2017 season.

Texas Rangers

On 31 July 2017, Scott was traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for

Jeremy Jeffress Jeremy Ross Jeffress (born September 21, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Bre ...

. He played for the

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home ...

in 2017. Scott spent the entirety of 2018 with Triple–A Round Rock, appearing in 44 contests and pitching to a 5–5 record and 3.26 ERA with 52 strikeouts across innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on 2 November 2018.

Seattle Mariners

Scott became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

after the 2018 season, and signed a minor-league contract with the

on 24 January 2019. He opened the 2019 season with 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, ...

. Scott was called up to the major leagues for the first time on 7 June 2019. He made his major-league debut on 8 June, becoming the first South African pitcher in MLB history. He pitched innings in his debut, against the

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

, allowing three runs on four hits. His first strikeout was against

Wilfredo Tovar Wilfredo José Tovar Soto (born August 11, 1991) is a Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels. Career New York Mets Tov ...

Baltimore Orioles

On 25 June 2019, Scott was claimed off waivers by the

. In eight appearances for the Orioles, Scott struggled to an 18.69 ERA with 7 strikeouts in innings of work. He was markedly better with the Triple–A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's loc ...

, registering a 0.56 ERA with 21 strikeouts across 13 appearances. On 30 October, Scott was removed from the

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

and sent outright to Triple–A Norfolk. He elected free agency on 4 November.

Hiroshima Toyo Carp

On 1 December 2019, Scott signed a one-year contract with the

(NPB). In 2020, Scott struggled to a 15.75 ERA in 7 games for Hiroshima. Scott did not appear in a regular season game for the Carp in 2021 and became a free agent after the season.

San Diego Padres

On 7 March 2022, Scott signed a minor league contract with the

organization. On 3 July, the Padres selected Scott's contract, adding him to their active roster. In eight appearances for San Diego, he struggled to an 0-1 record and 6.75 ERA with 13 strikeouts over 12 innings of work. On 11 September, Scott was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

following Craig Stammen's activation from the injured list.

Philadelphia Phillies

On 14 September 2022, Scott was claimed off waivers by 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 ...

. In four appearances for the 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 ...

, Scott struggled to a 15.00 ERA with four strikeouts in three innings of work. He was designated for assignment on 16 December, after the Phillies signed

Taijuan Walker Taijuan Emmanuel Walker (born August 13, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue ...

. Scott cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple–A on 23 December; however, he declined the assignment and became a free agent.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On 7 January 2023, Scott signed a minor-league contract with the

. He began the season with Triple-A

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

, allowing only two earned runs in innings before he was called up to the majors on 22 May. He pitched six innings across six games for the Dodgers, posting a 9.00 ERA before he was designated for assignment on 17 June.

Boston Red Sox

On 22 June 2023, Scott was traded to the

in exchange for cash considerations; he was assigned to the Triple-A

Worcester Red Sox The Worcester Red Sox (nicknamed the WooSox) are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawtucket Red Sox. Th ...

. On 4 July, Scott was added to Boston's active roster. In four games for Boston, Scott pitched innings and surrendered three runs (two earned) on six hits and four walks with two strikeouts. He was designated for assignment on 16 July.

Oakland Athletics

On 19 July 2023, Scott was claimed off waivers by the

. In 8 games for Oakland, he registered a 3.38 ERA with 7 strikeouts in 8 innings of work. Following the season on 6 November, Scott was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A

Las Vegas Aviators The Las Vegas Aviators, formerly known as the Las Vegas 51s and Las Vegas Stars, are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics. They are located in Summerlin South, Nevada, a comm ...

. He elected free agency the same day.

Houston Astros

1479Game 03 2025 Astros-Cardinals Apr 14 Tayler Scott

On 12 December 2023, Scott signed a minor-league contract with the

. On 28 March 2024, Scott had his contract selected after making Houston's

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

roster. Scott earned his first major league win on 2 May when he tossed scoreless innings versus the

Cleveland Guardians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. Since , the team has played its home gam ...

to support an 8–2 final. The Astros placed Scott on the 15-day injured list on 21 September due to a

thoracic spine In vertebrates, thoracic vertebrae compose the middle segment of the vertebral column, between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae. In humans, there are twelve thoracic vertebrae of intermediate size between the cervical and lumbar ve ...

strain. Through the point of the roster move, Scott had made the third-most appearances for the Astros and had produced a 2.23 ERA, 71 strikeouts, a 25.2% strikeout rate, and a 3.5% barrel rate over his innings. He did struggle with walks, however, at 12.4%. Scott made 17 appearances for the Astros in

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

, posting a 1–2 record and 5.40 ERA with 16 strikeouts across innings pitched. Scott was designated for assignment by the Astros on 14 May 2025. On 21 May, Scott cleared waivers and elected free agency, rejecting the outright assignment to the Triple-A

Sugar Land Space Cowboys The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metro ...

Arizona Diamondbacks

On 31 May 2025, Scott signed a minor league contract with the

. He made three scoreless appearances for the Triple-A

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, w ...

before being added to Arizona's active roster on 10 June. In nine appearances for Arizona, Scott struggled to a 9.00 ERA with seven strikeouts over nine innings of work. On 28 June, Scott was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks. He elected free agency after clearing waivers on 1 July.

Houston Astros (second stint)

On 4 July 2025, Scott signed a minor league contract with the

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Tayler 1992 births Living people Arizona Diamondbacks players Arizona League Cubs players Baltimore Orioles players Biloxi Shuckers players Boise Hawks players Boston Red Sox players Daytona Cubs players El Paso Chihuahuas players Expatriate baseball players in Japan Hiroshima Toyo Carp players Houston Astros players Kane County Cougars players Las Vegas Aviators players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from South Africa Myrtle Beach Pelicans players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Norfolk Tides players Oakland Athletics players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Reno Aces players Round Rock Express players Salt River Rafters players San Diego Padres players Seattle Mariners players Sioux City Explorers players South African expatriate baseball players in the United States South African expatriate sportspeople in Japan Sportspeople from Johannesburg Sugar Land Space Cowboys players Tacoma Rainiers players Tennessee Smokies players White South African people 21st-century South African sportsmen