Jason Taylor
| AB | 917 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .245 |
| OBP | .352 |
| SLG | .386 |
| HR | 23 |
- Full name Jason William Taylor
- Born 01/14/1988 in Norfolk, VA
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Floyd E. Kellam
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Drafted in the 2nd round (45th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2006 (signed for $762,500).
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Taylor is an excellent athlete who played shortstop at Kellam High but likely will take his 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame to first base or the outfield professionally. He broke his arm early in the summer of 2005 and missed most of the showcases, but his talent was evident as a member of Team USA's junior national team. Some compared Taylor with Justin Upton for his athleticism and the ease with which he plays the game. Taylor's bat is his ticket, and he centers balls well. He's at least an average runner, though his power is a question mark. He should be signable in the fifth- to 10th-round range.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Robinson could patrol center field in Kansas City right now, but he has a long way to go to prove that he can hit enough to make it to Kansas City. The Royals spent $850,000 to get Robinson to give up a football scholarship to Florida, and he has shown the athleticism and makeup they were hoping for. But at the plate, the switch-hitter's lefthanded swing still looks unnatural. He has shown improved pitch recognition and is using his hands better. Where he used to survive on bloop hits, he now has more line-drive singles and doubles, especially when he's hitting righthanded. But Robinson will have to make more strides with pitch recognition and develop the ability to take a walk if he's going to ever be anything more than a No. 9 hitter. He's also still honing his ability to bunt, which would immediately improve his batting average. He can fly down the line in 3.8-3.9 seconds from home to first from the left side, and steals bases largely with his pure speed. If he improved his leads and his ability to read pitchers' moves, he could steal even more than the 62 bags he nabbed last year. In the outfield, he has the speed to run down balls in the gaps, and through hard work he has improved his arm to where it's now just a tick below average. Kansas City has pushed Robinson aggressively, but after struggling for three seasons, he'd be best off returning to high Class A to try to help him develop some confidence at the plate. -
No one was more surprised that he was a second-round pick last June than Taylor himself. Given the impression he would last until at least the fifth round, he was hanging out with friends when he got a telephone call telling him he was the first pick of the second round. He turned down Clemson to sign with the Royals for $762,500. He lost the chance for some exposure when a broken arm kept him out of most of the summer showcases, but he did hit .316 for the U.S. junior national team. Some scouts likened his athleticism to that of Justin Upton, a fellow Virginia high school product and the No. 1 overall pick in 2005. Taylor has good hand-eye coordination and can drive the ball to all fields. He shows plus raw power but has more of a line-drive stroke. He should hit more homers as he learns to incorporate his lower half into his swing more often. His approach and plate discipline are well beyond those of most teenagers, though he's still learning to adjust to the better offspeed pitches he'll see in pro ball. A shortstop in high school, Taylor lacked the range to play there as a pro and moved to third base. He arm and hands are both above average, and he runs well. Because he's now at the hot corner, more will be expected of his bat. He'll be tested in low Class A this year.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Projected as a sixth- to 10th-round pick, Taylor eschewed Clemson for pro ball when the Royals took him with the first pick of the second round (45th overall). While others had more auspicious debuts, he impressed by showing tools across the board. One of the AZL's top athletes, Taylor was streaky offensively, losing confidence at one point as he adjusted to wood bats. He had a tendency to get out on his front foot but adjusted as the season wore on, showing a knack for getting the fat part of the bat on the ball. As he incorporates his lower half into his swing more, Taylor projects to hit for average and solid power. A prep shortstop, he handled the move to third base well but eventually could move to an outfield corner.
