Will Taylor Stats & Scouting Report

AB	63
AVG	.206
OBP	.329
SLG	.349
HR	2

Full name William Edward Taylor
Born 01/10/2003 in Columbia, SC
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 175 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Clemson
Drafted in the 5th round (145th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024 (signed for $497,500).

View Draft Report

School: Clemson
Commit/Drafted: Rangers ’21 (19)
Age At Draft: 21.5
BA Grade: 45/Extreme
Tools: Hit: 45. Power: 40. Run: 55. Field: 55. Arm: 50.

Taylor was a first-round talent out of high school in 2021, but proved too difficult to sign and made it to Clemson where he played football and baseball for two seasons before dropping football and focusing on baseball after the 2023 spring season. That focus on baseball excited scouts, who were ready to see how one of the most impressive athletes in the class would build on a 2023 season where he slashed .362/.489/.523 with 16 doubles in 62 games. It was tough sledding for Taylor in 2024 as the 5-foot-11, 185-pound outfielder struggled to a .230/.465/.480 line through 32 games before a fractured left wrist ended his season. There are now real questions about Taylor’s hit and power tools and a poor 2023 summer in the Cape Cod League doesn’t help his case. Taylor stays within the strike zone on his swing decisions, but the swing itself needs some work and he too frequently swings and misses against breaking balls and off-speed pitches. Expected to be a center fielder, Taylor played left field for Clemson and has lost the plus-plus speed he previously showcased after a right knee injury during his freshman football season. He should be an above-average runner with a chance for center field in the future where he has solid-average arm strength and where his below-average power would profile better.

Top Rankings

Draft Prospects

School: Clemson Committed: Rangers ’21 (19)
Age At Draft: 21.5
Taylor was a first-round talent out of high school in 2021 and joined Bubba Chandler as standout two-sport athletes with Clemson commitments. Unlike Chandler, Taylor proved too difficult to sign out of that Clemson commitment and made it to campus where he played both sports his first two seasons before dropping football and focusing on baseball following the 2023 spring season. A 5-foot-10, 180-pound outfielder, Taylor won Clemson’s most improved award after going from a .717 OPS in 13 games as a freshman to a 1.008 OPS in 62 games as a sophomore. Taylor has not quite been the hitter he was expected to be out of high school, but his 2023 season was a strong step forward. He struggled in the Cape Cod League following the season and slashed just .231/.349/.337 with an 18.9% strikeout rate and an 8.7% walk rate, so his 2024 performance will be crucial for his draft stock. He has fringe-average power and profiles more as a line drive, contact hitter—though he will need to improve his ability to sit back on off-speed offerings. An easy plus runner, Taylor can fly out of the box and turn in double-plus run times and cover plenty of ground in the outfield. The ball-tracking skills that allowed him to be a collegiate receiver and punt returner should give him plus defensive upside in the outfield, where he also has solid arm strength.