By his second season, 1958, the bonus rule had been amended and the Braves were permitted to option Taylor to the Class B Three-I League to gain valuable playing time.

He then spent all of 1959 and 1960 sharpening his skills in the upper levels of the Braves' farm system, and was selected to the 1960 All-Star team as a catcher by the Triple-A American Association.

He hit his first MLB home run on the final day of the 1961 season, a ninth-inning, pinch-hit blow off Mike McCormick that enabled Milwaukee to even the score at 2–2 against the San Francisco Giants at County Stadium, and paved the way to an eventual 3–2 Brave triumph in extra innings.

[2] Hampered by a broken collarbone[1] in 1963, Taylor managed only two hits in 29 at bats all season, and on December 2 his contract was sold to the National League's tail-ending team, the New York Mets.

Prior to the 1971 season, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox organization, and was playing with their Louisville Colonels affiliate when a back injury ended his career at the age of 32.