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Tampa Bay Rays' Brayden Taylor Named Top 10 Third Base Prospect in MLB

Brayden Taylor's defensive versatility, power at the plate and speed on the basepaths make him one of the most intriguing prospects in the Tampa Bay Rays' farm system.
Sam Connon|
Jun 16, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; TCU Horned Frogs third baseman Brayden Taylor (55) scores on an error by the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles during the eighth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha.
Jun 16, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; TCU Horned Frogs third baseman Brayden Taylor (55) scores on an error by the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles during the eighth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

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Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays have produced plenty of dynamic infielders over the years, and they seemingly have another one coming down the pipeline.

In the leadup to their fully-updated rankings across the league, MLB.com is revealing their top 10 prospects at each position. MLB Pipeline reporter Sam Dykstra dove into third basemen on Monday, including Tampa Bay's 2023 first round pick on his list.

Brayden Taylor was ranked as the No. 4 third base prospect entering 2025, coming in behind Coby Mayo of the Baltimore Orioles, Matt Shaw of the Chicago Cubs and Cam Smith of the Houston Astros. Taylor actually ended 2024 at No. 3, but he has since been leapfrogged by Smith, who got dealt from Chicago to Houston in the blockbuster Kyle Tucker deal last month.

Taylor finished last season ranked as the No. 60 prospect in baseball, and he is expected to be safely inside the Top 100 when that list is published on Friday. MLB Pipeline has his hit, power, arm and field tools all graded at 55, while his run tool has garnered a 50.

The do-it-all infielder has experience at second base, third base and shortstop, but the Rays see him staying in the hot corner moving forward. While Taylor dynamism in the field is a plus, Carson Williams is viewed as the shortstop of the future in Tampa Bay.

Taylor has appeared in 139 games since turning pro out of TCU in 2023, ascending as high as Double-A in 2024. So far in his minor league career, the 22-year-old has hit .249 with an .861 OPS, totaling 25 home runs, 31 doubles, 11 triples, 77 RBI and 40 stolen bases.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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