Former Atlanta Braves assistant pitching coordinator and Georgia State pitching coach Matt Taylor was named the Georgia Tech baseball pitching coach on June 8, 2023.
“Matt is a terrific baseball talent and his vision for what he wants to do on the mound and defensively here at Georgia Tech is exactly what we were looking for,” head coach Danny Hall said. “In addition to his coaching ability and energy, he also has extensive knowledge and experience scouting and recruiting the state of Georgia, as well as the greater Southeast, as a native Georgian. Matt will be a huge asset for Georgia Tech and we are thrilled to have him join our staff.”
Taylor joins the Yellow Jackets after earning an opportunity to be the minor league pitching coordinator for the Atlanta Braves following three years as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at nearby Georgia State.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity to work under one of the winningest head coaches in the history of our sport,” Taylor said. “Being born in Atlanta and growing up in the state of Georgia, I understand the significance of Georgia Tech Baseball and I’m excited to work with Coach Hall, Ramsey and the rest of the staff!”
During his time with the Braves, Taylor oversaw the development of prospects such as AJ Smith-Shawver, Spencer Schwellenbach, JR Ritchie, Owen Murphy and Dylan Dodd. He helped lead the Braves minor league pitching ranked to a No.1 ranking in K-BB%, and No. 2 in xFIP (out of 30 MLB Organizations) in 2022, along with capturing a division title. His minor league pitching staff delivered the third-best K-BB% among MLB organizations in 2023, prior to joining the Jackets coaching staff.
In three seasons at Georgia State, Taylor’s time in downtown Atlanta culminated in 2022 when he helped coach the Panthers to their first 30-win season in seven years as his staff had a 5.21 ERA (4.67 ERA in Sun Belt Conference play), a program-record 505 strikeouts and 17 saves – good for second-most in program history.
In 2021, Taylor’s staff pitched against one of the nation’s most challenging non-conference schedules (25th nationally), resulting in the highest-ranked win in program history, a 4-2 victory at then-No. 2 Vanderbilt. This just a year after inheriting a pitching staff in 2020 with only two upperclassmen, which, despite a shortened season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, allowed just a .227 batting average against and a 5.73 ERA.
From the moment he arrived at Georgia State, Taylor made an unmistakable impact directing recruiting for the Panthers. A Georgia native, he helped the program assemble two of the best ever recruiting classes in its history, including its highest-ranked class in 2022 (No. 37).
Prior to GSU, Taylor spent two seasons working in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization as a scouting assistant and then area supervisor. In the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, the Pirates drafted six players from his Georgia/South Carolina territory, more than any other scout.
Before joining the Pirates organization, Taylor spent one season (2017) in player development with the Baltimore Orioles, the team that selected him in the fifth round of the 2011 draft.
A left-handed pitcher, Taylor played seven seasons in the Orioles system. Among his pro ball highlights, he was the 2013 Delmarva Shorebirds Mountaire Player of the Year and a 2014 Carolina League All-Star. He also played one winter (2015) with the Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League.
During his playing career, Taylor worked with Unlimited Potential Inc., a Christian baseball organization, conducting camps in Guatemala and assisting with the Guatemala Junior National Baseball Team.
A native of Columbus, Ga., Taylor was a prep All-American and Georgia Player of the Year at Columbus High School in 2009 and was drafted by the Pirates but did not sign. He played one season at Alabama (2010), helping the Crimson Tide reach the NCAA Super Regional round, and one season at Middle Georgia College (2011), where he earned all-conference honors.
Taylor earned his degree in sociology from Columbus State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2017.
