Drafted in the 4th round (127th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015 (signed for $500,000).
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Taylor began his career at Pearl River as a two-way player, but struggled at the plate as a freshman. His hitting days are now behind him, as his future is on the mound. He has emerged as the best pitcher in Mississippi this year, regardless of level. Taylor has impressive raw tools but still needs significant polish because he has only recently begun pitching full-time. Listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he has a strong, athletic frame and a quick arm. He has repeatedly reached 97 mph with his fastball this spring and comfortably sits around 93-94 mph. His inconsistent secondary stuff nevertheless shows promise, with some feel for spinning his slider. His changeup remains a work in progress. He has a sound delivery, but his control comes and goes and he'll need to learn to consistently throw strikes at the next level. Whether Taylor moves on to the professional ranks or upholds his commitment to LSU, he will need significant development to reach his upside as a starting pitcher. But with so many of the physical tools already in place, it may be a project a team is willing to undertake.
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Taylor had committed to play at Louisiana State following two seasons at Pearl River (Miss.) CC, but the Pirates took a shot on him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, and the sides quickly reached a deal with Taylor signing for $500,000, a touch more than $60,000 above slot value. About a month after he was drafted and after one start in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, however, Taylor needed Tommy John surgery. He worked as a full-time pitcher for the first time in 2015 after splitting time between the mound and outfield during his amateur career. He was already unpolished on the mound due to his lack of pitching experience, and now he'll be playing an even bigger game of catch-up. However, Taylor has plenty of raw talent to work with, routinely throwing his fastball at 93-95 mph and topping out at 97. His slider tends to act more like a slurve and needs to be tightened, while his changeup has decent fade, though he has a hard time throwing it for strikes. The athletic Taylor has a smooth, repeatable delivery and throws on a downhill plane, lending hope that his development could be rapid once he gets healthy. Taylor is nothing more than a lottery ticket at this point, but he should be able to get some work in during the later stages of 2016 after he returns from surgery, likely with a Rookie-level affiliate.
Draft Prospects
Taylor began his career at Pearl River as a two-way player, but struggled at the plate as a freshman. His hitting days are now behind him, as his future is on the mound. He has emerged as the best pitcher in Mississippi this year, regardless of level. Taylor has impressive raw tools but still needs significant polish because he has only recently begun pitching full-time. Listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he has a strong, athletic frame and a quick arm. He has repeatedly reached 97 mph with his fastball this spring and comfortably sits around 93-94 mph. His inconsistent secondary stuff nevertheless shows promise, with some feel for spinning his slider. His changeup remains a work in progress. He has a sound delivery, but his control comes and goes and he'll need to learn to consistently throw strikes at the next level. Whether Taylor moves on to the professional ranks or upholds his commitment to LSU, he will need significant development to reach his upside as a starting pitcher. But with so many of the physical tools already in place, it may be a project a team is willing to undertake.
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