Taylor Walls

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #15 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: A three-year starter at Florida State, Walls has managed to carve a path for himself despite the overflow of middle infielders in the Rays' system. Even in a system with so many options, Walls has managed to establish himself as the club's best defensive shortstop, with enough bat to be a potential major league regular.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Walls is a plus defender at shortstop whose steady reliability and sticky hands are matched by above-average range and an above-average, accurate arm. Walls manages to slow the game down with an excellent internal clock. Walls can play other infield spots, but the Rays haven't had him work much at second or third because he's so reliable at short. Offensively, Walls is more likely a bottomof-the-order hitter than someone who tops a lineup. He's a switch-hitter who is comfortable against lefthanders and righthanders. Walls is an average hitter with below-average power. He's best as a pest whose bat control makes it hard for pitchers to strike him out. His above-average speed is a useful bonus.
  
  THE FUTURE: Where Walls fits on the Rays' roster is hard to decipher, but the more scouts from other teams have seen him, the more convinced they are that he'll be a starting shortstop. The question is whether it will be with the Rays or with another club after a trade.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #20 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: After playing for a state title as a high school senior at Cordele, Ga.'s Crisp County High, Walls' three Florida State teams all made the NCAA tournament. He was the starting shortstop on back-to-back league champions in 2017 (Hudson Valley) and 2018 (Bowling Green). In 2019, both high Class A Charlotte and Double-A Montgomery made the playoffs.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Walls' best attribute is his steady glove. He has plus hands and average range with an arm that will flash above-average when needed. Thanks to a solid internal clock, he doesn't always let it rip with his throws. He can play second and third base as well and should be able to slide to the outfield if needed thanks to above-average speed and solid instincts. Offensively, Walls is likely a bottom-of-theorder hitter, but he can string together good at-bats and he can spray line drives in the gaps. He projects as an average hitter with belove-average power, but his barrel control makes it hard to strike him out.
  
  THE FUTURE: Walls' solid all-around game makes him a versatile future utilityman who could be a second-division regular on a less-talented roster.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #21 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: After an excellent sophomore season that earned All-America honors, Walls slumped as a junior. After he was drafted by the Rays, Walls finished his Florida State career with a flourish, setting a school record by reaching base safely in 14 consecutive plate appearances.
  
  Scouting Report: What impresses scouts about Walls is he's a well-rounded athlete with no real plus tool, but a lot of 50s on his scouting report. He's a reliable defender who steadily makes the routine play, although he lacks plus range. He's an average defender at short who should be fine at second base, even though he has only played shortstop as a pro. He can flash an above-average arm. Walls is an above-average hitter with below-average power. He is an above-average runner who stole 31 bases in 2018.
  
  The Future: Walls profiles as a second-division shortstop or more likely as the kind of versatile, multi-position semi-regular the Rays love to develop. He heads to high Class A Charlotte knowing Wander Franco will soon be nipping at his heels.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #165 prospect in 2017 draft
  A first-team All-American in 2016, Walls endured a disastrous junior season and was part of the reason Florida State, No. 2 in the preseason, struggled to a .500 ACC record. Walls has excellent pitch recognition and has enough gap power to drive the ball on mistakes up in the zone, and he has solid hands and range at shortstop. Most scouts see his athleticism and footwork as a better fit at second base, but his reads and anticipation could extend his time at short. Walls got in trouble this season trying to do too much offensively; his swing got big, his strikeouts went up as he went deep in counts and his frustration boiled over when he was suspended for a game in the middle of a series with North Carolina. Walls had rebounded a bit down the stretch but had a poor season (.265/.409/.397), which should push him down to the fourth to sixth round range.

• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A three-year starter at Florida State, Walls has managed to carve a path for himself despite the overflow of middle infielders in the Rays' system. Even in a system with so many options, Walls has managed to establish himself as the club's best defensive shortstop, with enough bat to be a potential major league regular.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Walls is a plus defender at shortstop whose steady reliability and sticky hands are matched by above-average range and an above-average, accurate arm. Walls manages to slow the game down with an excellent internal clock. Walls can play other infield spots, but the Rays haven't had him work much at second or third because he's so reliable at short. Offensively, Walls is more likely a bottomof-the-order hitter than someone who tops a lineup. He's a switch-hitter who is comfortable against lefthanders and righthanders. Walls is an average hitter with below-average power. He's best as a pest whose bat control makes it hard for pitchers to strike him out. His above-average speed is a useful bonus.
  
  THE FUTURE: Where Walls fits on the Rays' roster is hard to decipher, but the more scouts from other teams have seen him, the more convinced they are that he'll be a starting shortstop. The question is whether it will be with the Rays or with another club after a trade.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A three-year starter at Florida State, Walls has managed to carve a path for himself despite the overflow of middle infielders in the Rays' system. Even in a system with so many options, Walls has managed to establish himself as the club's best defensive shortstop, with enough bat to be a potential major league regular.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Walls is a plus defender at shortstop whose steady reliability and sticky hands are matched by above-average range and an above-average, accurate arm. Walls manages to slow the game down with an excellent internal clock. Walls can play other infield spots, but the Rays haven't had him work much at second or third because he's so reliable at short. Offensively, Walls is more likely a bottomof-the-order hitter than someone who tops a lineup. He's a switch-hitter who is comfortable against lefthanders and righthanders. Walls is an average hitter with below-average power. He's best as a pest whose bat control makes it hard for pitchers to strike him out. His above-average speed is a useful bonus.
  
  THE FUTURE: Where Walls fits on the Rays' roster is hard to decipher, but the more scouts from other teams have seen him, the more convinced they are that he'll be a starting shortstop. The question is whether it will be with the Rays or with another club after a trade.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A three-year starter at Florida State, Walls has managed to carve a path for himself despite the overflow of middle infielders in the Rays' system. Even in a system with so many options, Walls has managed to establish himself as the club's best defensive shortstop, with enough bat to be a potential major league regular.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Walls is a plus defender at shortstop whose steady reliability and sticky hands are matched by above-average range and an above-average, accurate arm. Walls manages to slow the game down with an excellent internal clock. Walls can play other infield spots, but the Rays haven't had him work much at second or third because he's so reliable at short. Offensively, Walls is more likely a bottomof-the-order hitter than someone who tops a lineup. He's a switch-hitter who is comfortable against lefthanders and righthanders. Walls is an average hitter with below-average power. He's best as a pest whose bat control makes it hard for pitchers to strike him out. His above-average speed is a useful bonus.
  
  THE FUTURE: Where Walls fits on the Rays' roster is hard to decipher, but the more scouts from other teams have seen him, the more convinced they are that he'll be a starting shortstop. The question is whether it will be with the Rays or with another club after a trade.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After playing for a state title as a high school senior at Cordele, Ga.’s Crisp County High, Walls’ three Florida State teams all made the NCAA tournament. He was the starting shortstop on back-to-back league champions in 2017 (Hudson Valley) and 2018 (Bowling Green). In 2019, both high Class A Charlotte and Double-A Montgomery made the playoffs.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Walls’ best attribute is his steady glove. He has plus hands and average range with an arm that will flash above-average when needed. Thanks to a solid internal clock, he doesn’t always let it rip with his throws. He can play second and third base as well and should be able to slide to the outfield if needed thanks to above-average speed and solid instincts. Offensively, Walls is likely a bottom-of-theorder hitter, but he can string together good at-bats and he can spray line drives in the gaps. He projects as an average hitter with belove-average power, but his barrel control makes it hard to strike him out.
  
  THE FUTURE: Walls’ solid all-around game makes him a versatile future utilityman who could be a second-division regular on a less-talented roster.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After playing for a state title as a high school senior at Cordele, Ga.'s Crisp County High, Walls' three Florida State teams all made the NCAA tournament. He was the starting shortstop on back-to-back league champions in 2017 (Hudson Valley) and 2018 (Bowling Green). In 2019, both high Class A Charlotte and Double-A Montgomery made the playoffs.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Walls' best attribute is his steady glove. He has plus hands and average range with an arm that will flash above-average when needed. Thanks to a solid internal clock, he doesn't always let it rip with his throws. He can play second and third base as well and should be able to slide to the outfield if needed thanks to above-average speed and solid instincts. Offensively, Walls is likely a bottom-of-theorder hitter, but he can string together good at-bats and he can spray line drives in the gaps. He projects as an average hitter with belove-average power, but his barrel control makes it hard to strike him out.
  
  THE FUTURE: Walls' solid all-around game makes him a versatile future utilityman who could be a second-division regular on a less-talented roster.