Tyrone Taylor

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #22 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Until 2019, Taylor seemed destined to be a top prospect who never made the majors. A high school football standout, Taylor ranked No. 1 on the Brewers Top 30 in 2015. He has struggled since then and missed much of 2017 due to a hamstring strain. He had a wrist issue in 2019, but he got hot late and received a September callup when Ryan Braun and Lorenzo Cain were injured.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Taylor's value is tied to his athleticism and defensive ability. He fits in center field thanks to his instincts and ability to track down balls hit into the gaps. He is a plus runner whose speed plays better in the outfield than it does on the basepaths. Offensively, Taylor has solid bat-to-ball skills, and has seen his raw power translate better in games the past two seasons, but he remains a below-average hitter with below-average power. That's why he profiles more as an emergency callup rather than a fourth outfielder who sticks all season.
  
  THE FUTURE: Taylor is on the Brewers' 40-man roster, so he will head to spring training competing for a backup outfield spot. Most likely he will return to Triple-A San Antonio.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #31 prospect in 2017
  Taylor has slid precipitously down the organization's prospect ranking since checking in at No. 1 in 2015 and No. 7 in 2016. He endured another tough year at Double-A Biloxi in 2016, which combined with the Brewers' influx of outfield talent, including first-round picks Trent Clark and Corey Ray and trade pickups Lewis Brinson and Brett Phillips, has diminished his standing. Taylor tinkered with his swing and lost the feel for hitting he showed at high Class A Brevard County in 2014. His struggles have been puzzling because Taylor has good bat speed and hand-eye coordination, and he once pounded the ball to both gaps. He was encouraged to adjust his load at the plate to try to generate more power but it resulted only in confusion. Taylor's best tool remains his above-average speed, which serves him well in center field, where he also displays good instincts and range. It has yet to translate to the bases, however, with modest stolen-base totals and too many times caught stealing. The Brewers still believe Taylor has the skills to reach the majors, perhaps as an extra outfielder, but two seasons of spinning his wheels at Double-A have not helped.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #7 prospect in 2016
  Taylor ranked as the system's No. 1 prospect a year ago after he paced the high Class A Florida State League with 36 doubles in 2014. He scuffled through an upand- down 2015 season at Double-A Biloxi, however, as he tinkered with his swing and never got hot. When at his best, Taylor drives the ball to the gaps and collects doubles. The Brewers sought to encourage more home-run production in 2015 by having Taylor stand more upright and stride into the ball, but his swing didn't always look comfortable. He is aggressive at the plate, often to a fault, drawing few walks but also limiting his strikeouts. He has decent speed on the bases but isn't a burner, nor is he a prolific basestealer, so he needs to continue to work on reading opposing pitchers. He is a true center fielder with good instincts and range and an average, accurate arm. Taylor has committed just five errors over the past two seasons and remains a reliable, fundamentallysound defender. The athletic Taylor took a step backward in 2015, but he will still be just 22 when he repeats Biloxi in 2016. He needs to find a consistent offensive approach he is comfortable with and stick with it. His glove buys him time to develop his bat, but some rival clubs see him as an extra outfielder.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #1 prospect in 2015
  The Brewers knew Taylor was a talented athlete when they selected him in the second round of the 2012 draft and signed him for $750,000. He was a standout running back in high school, and the Brewers figured he would improve when focusing on baseball only--and that's exactly what has happened. Taylor impressed in his 2012 debut in Rookie ball before a wrist injury cut short his season, and he played at low Class A Wisconsin in 2013 at age 19, where he started slow and finished strong. Taylor followed that pattern again in 2014 at high Class A Brevard County, playing better in the second half (.299 average, .350 onbase percentage) while leading the Florida State League with 45 extra-base hits. He ran out of gas in the final month (.532 OPS), but he received a promotion to Double-A Huntsville for the Southern League playoffs. Taylor is more of a gap hitter--36 of his extrabase hits were doubles, the most in the FSL'than a bopper. He has good bat speed and is aggressive at the plate but makes contact and does not strike out much. Taylor doesn't walk much, either, and, therefore, needs to work on his plate discipline to improve his OBP. He hit lefthanders hard in 2014 (.852 OPS) and has learned how to pull inside pitches down the line for doubles. Taylor has decent speed on the bases, but he isn't a burner and has worked hard on getting jumps on the pitcher. He is a true center fielder with good range and instincts and an average, accurate arm. In 129 games in the outfield in 2014, he committed just two errors. Taylor played in a very tough park for righthanded hitters at Brevard County and should continue to be more productive. The Brewers love Taylor's aggressiveness on the field and the way he takes to coaching. He is difficult to get off the field, and he led Brevard County by playing in 130 of 135 games. He kept going in the Arizona Fall League as well, though he hit a soft .271. Taylor will play the entire 2015 season as a 21-year-old at Double-A. The Brewers know they don't have to rush Taylor, but he continues to earn quick promotions and rapidly assumed the mantel of top prospect in the system. Taylor projects to be a top-of-the order hitter in the majors who will be effective at the plate and in the field.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #2 prospect in 2014
  The Brewers knew they had a good athlete in Taylor, who also was a standout running back at Torrance High, and hoped he would blossom once he focused on baseball only. He impressed in Rookie ball after signing before a wrist injury cut short his season, and the Brewers jumped him to low Class A Wisconsin at age 19, where he recovered from a slow start to post a productive season. Taylor is a true center fielder with five-tool potential who figures to get better as he accumulates at-bats. He has smoothed out his mechanics at the plate and shows gap power and at times more than that. He has good bat speed and is an aggressive hitter, sometimes to his detriment. He needs to improve his plate discipline, but he doesn't strike out much and will stand in against inside offerings, which resulted in 14 hit by pitches in 2013. His above-average speed plays to his advantage in center field as well as on the bases. He shows good instincts in the field and has learned to get good jumps in stealing bases. He has an average, accurate arm and tied for third in the Midwest League with 13 assists. He adapts well to coaching and should become even stronger as he matures physically. Taylor will be tested at high Class A Brevard County, which has a tough park for righthanded hitters. He has the skill set to succeed, however, and the Brewers are excited to have a true center fielder who could hit in the top third of the order.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #15 prospect in 2013
  Taylor was a standout running back and safety for his high school football team, and he showed potential in baseball that figured to blossom when he focused on one sport. The Brewers loved his athleticism, taking him in the second round last June and signing him for $750,000. He put together a strong pro debut before a wrist injury cut his season short. Taylor has improved his mechanics at the plate and features a line-drive stroke with good bat speed. Some amateur scouts worried about the load in his swing, as he rocked back before moving forward, but he smoothed that out after signing. His power goes mostly to the gaps, though he has a chance to produce double-digit homers on an annual basis as he matures. Taylor has above-average speed that plays well in center field, where he shows good instincts, as well as the basepaths, where he's aggressive and gets good jumps. His all-around package of tools gives Taylor an ideal center-field profile if he hits. He'll move on to low Class A for his first full professional season.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #95 prospect in 2012 draft
  A standout running back and safety for the Torrance football team, Taylor is an excellent athlete who figures to polish some of his rough edges once he focuses on baseball. A shoulder strain relegated him to DH duties and clouded his draft stock a bit, but Taylor has shown a solid-average arm and good instincts in center field when healthy. His above-average speed also plays on the basepaths, where he is aggressive and gets good reads. Scouts are a bit conflicted on Taylor's bat. He has an unusual load, rocking onto his back leg before moving forward, but he has a fairly efficient swing path and good bat speed. He has a tendency to push the ball, but some he has a chance to develop into a quality doubles hitter with fringy power potential as he matures. Taylor's bat carries risk, but his athleticism and all-around tools package could get the Cal State Fullerton recruit drafted between the second and fourth rounds.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Florida State League #16 prospect in 2014
  Taylor has spent the past two seasons in stifling offensive environments and has continued to impress scouts and managers with his all-around tools. A Southern California product, he has added more polish than expected when he was a two-sport standout in high school noted more for his athleticism. Taylor fits the center-field profile athletically, with plus speed, a solid-average arm and improving baserunning instincts. He doesn't draw a ton of walks but also makes a ton of contact (he was the second-toughest regular in the FSL to strike out) thanks to a fairly balanced swing. He has gap power (he led the league with 36 doubles) and is developing more as he matures. He's a fine defender in center field as well who may wind up profiling as a top-of-the-lineup option.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #93 prospect in 2015

• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Until 2019, Taylor seemed destined to be a top prospect who never made the majors. A high school football standout, Taylor ranked No. 1 on the Brewers Top 30 in 2015. He has struggled since then and missed much of 2017 due to a hamstring strain. He had a wrist issue in 2019, but he got hot late and received a September callup when Ryan Braun and Lorenzo Cain were injured.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Taylor's value is tied to his athleticism and defensive ability. He fits in center field thanks to his instincts and ability to track down balls hit into the gaps. He is a plus runner whose speed plays better in the outfield than it does on the basepaths. Offensively, Taylor has solid bat-to-ball skills, and has seen his raw power translate better in games the past two seasons, but he remains a below-average hitter with below-average power. That's why he profiles more as an emergency callup rather than a fourth outfielder who sticks all season.
  
  THE FUTURE: Taylor is on the Brewers' 40-man roster, so he will head to spring training competing for a backup outfield spot. Most likely he will return to Triple-A San Antonio.