Mets sign Southern Maryland second baseman Taylor Darden to minor league deal

Taylor Darden’s Atlantic League bat earned him another step up the ladder, with the New York Mets purchasing the Southern Maryland second baseman’s contract and moving him into their minor league system. The Blue Crabs announced the deal on June 20, and MiLB’s transaction log showed Darden assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones on June 21 before a June 23 move to the St. Lucie Mets.

Darden, 26, has given Southern Maryland exactly the kind of in-season production that gets a look from affiliated clubs. The right-handed hitter and thrower, listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, was repeatedly in the middle of the Blue Crabs’ offense this season, including a walk-off win over Long Island when he opened the scoring with a run-scoring infield single. In another game, he drove in four runs, a line that included a solo home run in the sixth inning and two sacrifice flies.

The Mets saw enough to add him as infield depth, and Southern Maryland’s own transaction count says plenty about the type of talent moving through Waldorf, Maryland. Darden became the fifth Blue Crabs player in 2026 to have his contract purchased, and the second by the Mets. He also joined fellow 2026 Blue Crab infielder Jamari Baylor in the Mets organization, another sign that New York has been paying close attention to the Southern Maryland roster.

Darden’s path to this point is spread across several stops, starting in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was born on January 16, 2000. He played collegiately at McNeese State, Incarnate Word, and Mesa Community College before breaking through with the Boise Hawks in the Pioneer League in 2025. Southern Maryland credited him with Pioneer League Rookie of the Year honors and a spot on the postseason all-star team, and the production has carried over to the Atlantic League.

For Southern Maryland, the move is another reminder that big numbers in-season still matter in a league built on opportunity. Darden’s jump to Brooklyn, and then St. Lucie, shows how quickly a hot bat and a usable glove can turn into a new professional assignment when the right organization is watching.