- Full name Zane Taylor
- Born 06/01/2002 in
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
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Drafted in the 5th round (141st overall) by the Athletics in 2025 (signed for $513,900).
View Draft Report
School: UNC Wilmington Drafted/Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 23.1
BA Grade: 45/High
For three years at UNC Wilmington, Taylor established himself as a high-end strike-throwing starter. During his 2025 senior season he added more stuff, and had a breakout season with a 1.98 ERA over 15 starts and 95.2 innings. He posted a career-high 28.8% strikeout rate and had a 3% walk rate that was the eighth-best mark among D-I pitchers with 50-plus innings. Taylor is a strong and filled-out righthander with a 6-foot, 200-pound frame. After sitting around 90-92 mph with his fastball, Taylor added nearly three full ticks of velocity in 2025. He averaged 93.6 mph and topped out at 98 with fairly generic life, but a slightly lower than average release height and a reasonably flat approach angle. What separates Taylor’s fastball more than anything is his ability to consistently command the pitch around the zone and use it to consistently get into pitcher’s counts. Taylor also has great feel for his entire mix of secondaries. He incorporated a new spike-grip curveball in the 80-85 mph range this spring. The pitch has short two-plane break and looks like a slider in shape at times. He also throws a mid-to-upper-80s cutter and a low-80s changeup. None of Taylor’s pitches are plus now, but all are solid and his plus control gives him a high-probability starter role with back-of-the-rotation upside. He should be a priority senior sign and one of the first college seniors drafted in 2025.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 60.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Taylor was a great strike-thrower over his first three seasons at UNC Wilmington, then his stuff took a leap in 2025 while maintaining pinpoint control. The result was an 11-2, 1.98 season and second-team All-American honors. Taylor then went to the draft combine, where he threw the hardest four-seamer (97.3 mph) of any pitcher, before the A’s drafted him in the fifth round. He impressed them enough to warrant a two-inning spot start with Triple-A Las Vegas in September.
Scouting Report: After previously sitting in the low 90s, Taylor’s fastball averaged 93.6 mph and touched 98 as a senior with a 73% strike rate, the fourth-best mark among college arms who threw at least 500 four-seamers in 2025. To hitters, the pitch appears to have dead-zone shape, but it avoids barrels because of its carry-run characteristics from an extremely low release height. Taylor doesn’t have a clear plus secondary, but he throws plenty of them. His 83 mph changeup might be the best of the bunch, and he also works in a mid-80s cutter that looks like a gyro slider, an 82 mph curveball, and the A’s taught him a sweeper in pro ball. Taylor has impressive command and his 3% walk rate in 2025 was eighth-best among Division I pitchers with 50-plus innings.
The Future: Taylor has a great sense of how his arsenal and arm slot work together. If he can sustain his velocity gains, he has back-of-the-rotation upside with a chance to move quickly through the A’s system.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Cutter: 50 | Sweeper: 50 | Control: 60
Draft Prospects
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School: UNC Wilmington Drafted/Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 23.1
BA Grade: 45/High
For three years at UNC Wilmington, Taylor established himself as a high-end strike-throwing starter. During his 2025 senior season he added more stuff, and had a breakout season with a 1.98 ERA over 15 starts and 95.2 innings. He posted a career-high 28.8% strikeout rate and had a 3% walk rate that was the eighth-best mark among D-I pitchers with 50-plus innings. Taylor is a strong and filled-out righthander with a 6-foot, 200-pound frame. After sitting around 90-92 mph with his fastball, Taylor added nearly three full ticks of velocity in 2025. He averaged 93.6 mph and topped out at 98 with fairly generic life, but a slightly lower than average release height and a reasonably flat approach angle. What separates Taylor’s fastball more than anything is his ability to consistently command the pitch around the zone and use it to consistently get into pitcher’s counts. Taylor also has great feel for his entire mix of secondaries. He incorporated a new spike-grip curveball in the 80-85 mph range this spring. The pitch has short two-plane break and looks like a slider in shape at times. He also throws a mid-to-upper-80s cutter and a low-80s changeup. None of Taylor’s pitches are plus now, but all are solid and his plus control gives him a high-probability starter role with back-of-the-rotation upside. He should be a priority senior sign and one of the first college seniors drafted in 2025.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 60.
