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Taylor is the most well-regarded of the three prospects headed to Miami. A first-round selection in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, Taylor had a terrible 2025 campaign but has bounced back nicely in 2026, slashing .284/.384/.513 with 17 home runs, 20 stolen bases and a 51:87 BB:K over 88 games with Double-A Montgomery. The 24-year-old has mostly played third base in pro ball, but he has experience at second base and shortstop, as well.
The only real knock on Taylor is that he was old (22) for the level (High-A) he was at prior to this promotion. Taylor, the No. 19 overall pick in 2023, slashed .271/.391/.516 with 14 home runs, 26 steals and a 24.4 percent strikeout rate in 83 games for the Hot Rods. He saw 41 starts at shortstop, 31 starts at third base and six starts at the keystone. Third base is his most likely long-term home.
The Rays' first-round pick in last year's draft, Taylor has been at least 40 percent better than the average hitter in each league he has played in thus far. He has shown a very patient approach, with a 26.4 percent strikeout rate and a 23.1 percent walk rate. Taylor has an excellent batted-ball profile, with a 23.7 percent groundball rate, 7.1 percent infield-flyball rate, 21.3 percent Oppo% and a 36.1 percent hard-hit rate. In other words, he's hitting the ball hard and in the air with great frequency. Taylor has started 16 games at shortstop and 11 games at third base, and he should be able to move around the diamond as needed.
A lefty-hitting third baseman from TCU, Taylor has one of the better hit tools from the college ranks in this year's class. He projects to hit for a high average and post high on-base percentages, thanks to his excellent command of the strike zone. Taylor had a .941 OPS with more walks (nine) than strikeouts (seven) in 11 Cape Cod League games last summer and slashed .307/.431/.641 with 23 home runs and 14 steals on 14 attempts in 65 games as a junior. It's possible he will be too passive at times in pro ball, and Taylor is not known for posting extreme exit velocities, but at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, he has a projectable frame for a college position player and shouldn't outgrow the hot corner. The Rays announced him as a shortstop, but most scouts expect him to be an everyday third baseman who hits fifth or sixth in a big-league lineup while using his excellent instincts to chip in 8-to-12 steals annually.