Scott Taylor Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Scott William Taylor
Born 12/28/1986 in Charleston, WV
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Virginia Commonwealth
Drafted in the 5th round (160th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2005 (signed for $162,000).

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The 6-foot-4 athlete struck out 16 in a 1-0 loss to Justin Bristow and Godwin, and one scout said that while Bristow's polish reminded him of a luxury car, Taylor's bite-your-head-off mentality and raw strength made for a nice SUV comparison. Taylor shows clean arm action with boring life on a 90-91 mph fastball that could jump in velocity down the road. His breaking ball looked good late in the year, but it rolls at times. His changeup might be his second pitch. Taylor also possesses a powerful bat and could emerge as a two-way player in the mold of former VCU start Jason Dubois if he went to college. Taylor should sign, however, if he goes near the fifth round.

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A fifth-round pick out of a Virginia high school in 2005, Taylor began his first full pro season in extended spring training but was summoned to the Peoria rotation in late April. When he gave up just five earned runs over his first four starts, he claimed a starting job on a full-time basis. He earned Peoria's lone playoff victory with seven shutout innings. Though he's 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, he's more about control than power. Taylor throws strikes better than anyone in the system and needed just 99 pitches to throw a nine-inning complete game in August. He can be around the zone too much, however, surrendering too many hits after getting ahead in the count. His best pitch is a 91-93 mph fastball with boring action. Taylor needs to improve the rest of his repertoire, which includes a curveball, slider and changeup, in order to do a better job of putting hitters away. He'll have to watch his thick frame, though he's a better athlete than he looks. He'll move up to high Class A this year.