D-Backs Take Advanced College Bat in BA Mock Draft
With the draft order now set and the Diamondbacks picking 12th, Baseball America released their first mock draft. With the D-backs pick, Carlos Collazo mocked Texas Christian University infielder Brayden Taylor.
12. D-backs — Brayden Taylor, 3B, Texas Christian
Taylor stands out for his keen eye at the plate. Over 117 games with Texas Christian he’s walked 104 times (19 BB%) compared to 86 strikeouts (15.8 K%). With a 2,305-pitch sample with Synergy, Taylor has chased outside of the zone just 13% of the time—an exceptional rate. For context on that number, take a look at two savvy-eyed 2022 first-rounders: Jace Jung had a career 19% chase rate with Texas Tech and Jacob Berry had a 21% chase rate with Arizona and Louisiana State.
Taylor, who will be 21 next May, is an infielder and a left-handed bat who has an exceptional eye at the plate and above-average power. In two seasons with TCU, he's hit .319/.450/.574 with 25 home runs and a 86/104 strikeout to walk ratio. He had a good year out in the Cape Cod League, hitting .242/.395/.546 with 3 home runs, 9 walks, and 7 strikeouts in 11 games. That batting profile projects well for hitting 2nd or 3rd in the order long term.
Defensively, Taylor has played most of his game at third base at TCU and projects to stay there. The D-backs do not have depth at the position and Taylor's bat will allow him to rise up the system quickly. He has the arm to stick at third and should be an average defender at the position. With defense at third base more at a premium, he's the type of player who scouting director Ian Rebhan would not hesitate to select if on the board at the 12th overall selection.
While the 2023 draft is seven months away, the mock drafts gives a list of names to keep an eye out for as the high school and college season progresses. Taylor's profile is the type that usually goes in the Top 10 for a team looking to save some money as a surefire bat at a non-premium defensive position. If he has a good junior year, he's a sure bet to be selected that high.
Prospects Live also mocked Taylor to the D-backs with their Mock Draft 2.0
