MLB Draft 2024: Pirates select OF Will Taylor in the fifth round

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Clemson outfielder Will Taylor with their fifth-round pick, 145th overall, in the 2024 MLB Draft. Taylor was ranked 165th by Baseball America and 203rd by MLB Pipeline.

Will Taylor, OF, Clemson

Age: 21 | Birth date: 1.10.2003 | HT: 5′ 10″ | WEIGHT: 180 | B/T: R/R

Statistics for 2024

Taylor posted a .230/.465/.480 batting average with seven home runs in 145 at-bats before being sidelined with a broken wrist in April. His numbers have been down this year after hitting .362/.489/.523 as a sophomore. Following his sophomore season, he posted a .231/.349/.337 batting average in the Cape Cod League last summer.

The history

Taylor was considered a first-round talent in 2021 and chose Clemson. He gave up first-round money to become a two-sport player. He played two years as a slot receiver and played baseball on the side. A torn ACL in his freshman year of football led to two surgeries and eventually his retirement from playing football. His baseball play declined in 2024 despite his focus on a single sport. He has also lost some of his skills to injuries during his college career, most notably a reduction in his speed.

The tools

Compilation of reports from Baseball America and MLB Pipeline on Taylor.

Hits (45+): Taylor makes good decisions to limit his swings to the strike zone, but often misses breaking and off-speed pitches.

Performance (45): He has average strength but performed poorly in the Cape Cod league with wooden bats. The broken wrist also raises questions about his ability to develop strength in the future. In high school, he was a two-time state champion in wrestling and showed good core strength.

Running (50+): Taylor was an above-average runner when he entered college, but the ACL tear has turned him into an average runner with the chance to excel.

Field (55): He can play in the middle because he is still fast and has an average hitting arm. If he can stay in the middle, there is less pressure on the bat.

Poor (50): The arm is average at best, which gives him the strength to stay in the middle.

Total (40+): Taylor’s profile is a center fielder who can handle defense but has trouble with his bat. He needs to recover from his wrist injury and then work on his breaking feel and off-speed throws. His hitting power is uncertain in the air, with good raw power but poor results. He eliminates throws outside the zone, which is a plus, but Taylor will ultimately be evaluated on how well he handles throws inside the zone.