(June 19, 1992 – October 26, 2014)
Oscar Francisco Taveras was a Dominican-Canadian professional baseball outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Cardinals signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Taveras made his MLB debut in 2014 after batting .321 with a .519 slugging percentage over six minor league seasons. He played all three outfield positions while spending most of the time in center field.
Taveras was a consensus top-five minor league prospect. He wielded batting skills likened to the style of former MLB outfielder Vladimir Guerrero – with a powerful and smooth, balanced stroke, Taveras successfully hit pitches well outside of the strike zone. Also similar to Guerrero, he possessed a strong and accurate throwing arm. The outfielder was the recipient of a litany of awards and won batting titles in three minor leagues, including hitting .386 for the Midwest League title in 2011.
On May 31, 2014, Taveras homered in his second at-bat in his major league debut for the Cardinals. He died in a car accident after he returned to the Dominican Republic following the 2014 season.
On Sunday, October 26, 2014, Taveras and his girlfriend died in a car accident in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
