Jeff Mercer stepped onto the back porch of his parents’ house on a crisp October evening in 2020, just moments after Michael Penix Jr. cemented his place in Indiana football lore with an unforgettable overtime win over Penn State.
As Mercer stepped outside, his phone buzzed.
“I’m celebrating,” Mercer recalled, "and then two seconds later, I look down, my phone’s ringing—it’s Devin Taylor. He’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, we won.’"
That phone call offered a glimpse into who Taylor was—a kid with an infectious love for sports, a deep connection to Indiana, and a relationship with his future coach that extended far beyond baseball.
The bond between Indiana outfielder Devin Taylor and head coach Jeff Mercer runs deep. Built on years of trust and a shared passion for the game, their connection began long before Taylor emerged as one of the most decorated players in Indiana baseball history.
Before Taylor was named an All-American or projected as a top pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, his relationship with Mercer was cultivated through years of phone calls—often about everything but baseball.
“Very seldom did we talk about baseball,” Mercer said. “Some recruiting phone calls feel like you have to put on an act to be excited. [But with Taylor and his parents] it was like, ‘I get to talk to the Taylors tonight.’”
From their earliest conversations, Taylor and Mercer talked about life—whether it was the latest pingpong match between Taylor and his dad or a buzzer-beater Taylor hit in high school.
One conversation stood out. During his sophomore year at LaSalle High School, Taylor hit a 30-foot buzzer-beater during the Division I district championship against St. Xavier. The shot sent the game to overtime, where Taylor’s Lancers came out on top.
“He was just so excited to talk about that,” Mercer remembered.
Over the years, those phone calls—about pingpong, buzzer-beaters and moments like that late-October call—created a foundation of trust and friendship that carried into Taylor’s time at Indiana.
Mercer was drawn to Taylor’s humor and the structure instilled by his family, which reminded Mercer of his own upbringing. But what stood out most was Taylor’s energy—an infectious force he has carried onto the field, where he has been a cornerstone of Indiana’s success since arriving in Bloomington.
Taylor’s rise from high school phenom to one of the most feared hitters in college baseball has been remarkable. As a freshman, he broke Indiana’s single-season RBI record with 59. Over two seasons, he compiled a .338 batting average with 36 home runs and 113 RBIs, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors both years—a feat no other Hoosier has achieved.
Despite the accolades, Taylor remains focused on one thing heading into the 2025 season: consistency. For him, consistency means playing loose, staying free and keeping things simple.
“Me freely playing baseball the whole year,” Taylor said when asked what success looks like to him. “There was a little bit of a stretch, in the middle of last year, that I was overthinking. But when I think freely, everything just takes care of itself.”
That stretch—a six-game slump in February and March where he went 4-for-23 with no extra-base hits—was a small blemish on an otherwise superb sophomore campaign. For a player like Taylor, who holds himself to the highest standard, even a minor slump feels significant.
This offseason, Taylor has focused on quieting the noise in his head and trusting his instincts.
“You just want to see him be himself,” Mercer said. “Just keeping it simple with his approach… just go play the game.”
Taylor has found creative ways to stay grounded, even during the grind of a long season. He is known to nap on the clubhouse couch after batting practice at Bart Kaufman Field—small moments that help him reset and stay relaxed.
No matter what it is, it’s all part of Taylor’s effort to embrace the “kid in me” and the joy of playing a game he has loved since he was a boy.
It is that joy that carried Taylor through a grueling schedule last year. After helping Indiana reach the Knoxville Regional, Taylor transitioned to playing for the Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape Cod League, pausing only to participate in Team USA’s Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
By the time he returned to Bloomington for fall workouts, Mercer noticed Taylor was “dragging a little bit.” But since the start of 2025, Taylor has returned to his usual routine—showing up at the facility around 9:30 a.m. to hit before his group arrives.
As Taylor enters what is likely his final season in Bloomington, the spotlight has never been brighter. Preseason All-America honors, Big Ten Player of the Year projections, and MLB Draft buzz surround him.
But Taylor remains unfazed.
“Not at all,” Taylor said when asked if the accolades matter to him. “I’m just going to go out there, play the game I’ve played since I was a kid, and let it take care of itself.”
For Mercer, Taylor’s ability to handle pressure with grace speaks volumes. Whether as a high school star or the face of Indiana baseball, Taylor has consistently risen to the occasion.
“The good thing for Devin is that he was a tremendous player at a young age, so he’s been in the spotlight for a long time,” Mercer said. “Obviously, right now will be just a touch different.”
As the 2025 season approaches, Taylor’s connection with Mercer remains a central part of his journey. From celebratory phone calls to weekly chats about pingpong matches and buzzer-beaters, their bond, that remains as strong as ever, was forged long before Taylor arrived in Bloomington.
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