Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

Taylor posted an average above .300 and an OPS above 1.000 each of his three seasons at TCU, and that consistency helped him become the highest Horned Frog position player ever taken in the Draft when he went 19th overall to the Rays in 2023. He was a 20/20 talent straight out of the gate, hitting .250/.365/.493 with 20 homers and 29 steals between High-A and Double-A in his first full season in ’24, but his stock broke sharply downward a year later when he batted just .173 with a 27.7 percent strikeout rate and a 77 wRC+ over 108 games in his return to Montgomery. Back in the Southern League for a third straight season in ’26, Taylor's nice turnaround in virtually all offensive aspects caught the Marlins' eye as they acquired him in a trade for Liam Hicks.

In 2025, Taylor was guilty of putting too many balls high up in the air without the power to push them out of the ballpark, leading to catchable fly balls and a low BABIP. This season, his hands are relaxed in a lower position, and not only is he stinging the ball more as a result, he has also cut down nicely on his swing-and-miss by being more on plane. That, combined with an allergy to chasing out of the zone, has helped fuel his solid slash line.

A good athlete at 6 feet tall, Taylor can certainly be a stolen-base threat, and in a good fit for the Miami organization, he’s proven he can move around the infield wherever needed, including early looks at shortstop. He’s played mostly third base in ’26, and out of the Draft, many evaluators figured he’d land there long term anyways with good arm strength. Taylor’s resurgence comes at a good time considering he’s Rule 5-eligible this offseason.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

After three collegiate seasons with at least a .300 average and 1.000 OPS, Taylor became the highest position player drafted in TCU history when he went 19th overall to the Rays in 2023. He was a Midwest League end-of-season All-Star in his first full season after slashing .269/.389/.513 with 14 homers and 26 steals in 84 games at High-A Bowling Green and overcame a 36.8 percent K rate to produce a 113 wRC+ in a late 30-game assignment to Double-A Montgomery. With 20 total homers and 29 steals, he was one of two 20/20 players in the Tampa Bay system alongside Carson Williams.

Batting in the left side of the box, Taylor raises his right leg fairly high and stamps it down in time to generate lift and pull consistently. It helped make him a power threat both in college and the early days of the pros, and it was notable that 11 of his 21 hits went for extra bases (including six homers) during what may have been an otherwise tough time in the pitcher-friendly Southern League last year. He’s returned to Montgomery for 2025 with even more struggles, often whiffing through secondary pitches or popping the ball up leading to a low BABIP and overall average.

Taylor may be just an average pure runner but he’s a solid athlete, capable of picking his stolen-base spots and moving around the infield. In other words, he’s a good fit for the Rays. He stopped playing shortstop after the promotion in deference to Carson Williams, and he’s a capable fit at third base with his arm strength. He also moves well enough for second, though that will take some transitioning to learn to read balls on the other side of the dirt. The Rays still have hopes that Taylor can move past the first baseball lumps of his life and adjust to upper-level arms, but his stock has undoubtedly taken a hit in his second full campaign.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Undrafted out of his Utah high school, Taylor went to Texas Christian University and developed into the program’s first-ever position player selected in the first round. A well-rounded infielder without the loud tools of his fellow top prospects in the system, Taylor’s bat stood out as he finished with double-digit home runs, a batting average north of .300 and an OPS higher than 1.000 in each of his three collegiate seasons. The Rays selected him with the 19th overall pick in the 2023 Draft and signed him for a slot-value bonus of $3,880,100. 

Taylor’s ability to hit is his carrying tool, as he features a sweet left-handed swing with excellent bat-to-ball skills. He uses the entire field, controls the strike zone and rarely chases outside the zone. He’s willing to work deep counts but since he’s more of a hitter with power than a power hitter, he sacrificed some batting average while looking to pull and drive more balls near the end of his time at TCU. That trend followed him into the Rays’ system, as he hit just .242 with a 31.5 percent strikeout rate, but he managed 12 extra-base hits (including five homers) in his 25-game professional debut.

Taylor is an average runner and a solid defender. He is probably best suited for third base, where he spent most of his time in college, but he’ll play some shortstop in his full-season debut. He’s not the quickest player in the field, but he has the instincts and arm to make it work on the left side of the infield. The Rays were quickly impressed by Taylor’s makeup, and while he likely won’t wow you with any one tool, his overall value and high floor put him near the top of a system loaded with infield prospects.

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50

Taylor flew under the radar as a Utah high schooler but has developed significantly at Texas Christian, setting the stage for him to become the program's first-ever first-round position player. He doesn't feature a true plus tool but does a little bit of everything and has performed well everywhere he has gone. The Big 12 Conference freshman of the year and a Cape Cod League All-Star in 2021, he played for the U.S. collegiate national team last summer. The Rays selected Taylor with the 19th overall pick this July and signed him for slot money at $3,880,100. 

Using a sweet left-handed swing and fine bat-to-ball skills, Taylor makes repeated contact to all fields. He's not afraid to work deep counts and controls the strike zone well. Though he has sacrificed some batting average while looking to pull and drive more balls this spring, he demonstrated increased power and set TCU records for single-season (23) and career (48) home runs. 

An average runner, Taylor played mostly third base for the Horned Frogs and provides solid defense at the hot corner with arm strength to match. He also saw action at second base and shortstop, and while he lacks typical middle-infield quickness, his instincts help him make plays there. He's younger and more projectable than most college hitters, so he could continue to get better.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Taylor flew under the radar as a Utah high schooler but has developed significantly at Texas Christian, setting the stage for him to become the program's first-ever first-round position player. He doesn't feature a true plus tool but does a little bit of everything and has performed well everywhere he has gone. The Big 12 Conference freshman of the year and a Cape Cod League All-Star in 2021, he played for the U.S. collegiate national team last summer. 

Using a sweet left-handed swing and fine bat-to-ball skills, Taylor makes repeated contact to all fields. He's not afraid to work deep counts and controls the strike zone well. Though he has sacrificed some batting average while looking to pull and drive more balls this spring, he demonstrated increased power and set TCU records for single-season (23) and career (48) home runs. 

An average runner, Taylor has played mostly third base for the Horned Frogs and provides solid defense at the hot corner with arm strength to match. He also has seen action at second base and shortstop, and while he lacks typical middle-infield quickness, his instincts help him make plays there. He's younger and more projectable than most college hitters, so he could continue to get better. 

Awards

AFL Rising Stars

Year	Team
2025

Baseball America High Class A All-Star

Year	Team
2024

SAL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/04/2026	3B Brayden Taylor assigned to Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp from Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
	08/03/2026	Miami Marlins traded C Liam Hicks to Tampa Bay Rays for 3B Brayden Taylor, SS Adrian Santana and RHP Jacob Kisting.
	08/03/2026	3B Brayden Taylor assigned to Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
	03/05/2026	3B Brayden Taylor assigned to Tampa Bay Rays Prospects.
	01/30/2026	Tampa Bay Rays invited non-roster 3B Brayden Taylor to spring training.
	11/08/2025	American League Fall Stars activated SS Brayden Taylor.
	09/10/2025	SS Brayden Taylor assigned to Mesa Solar Sox.
	03/06/2025	activated 3B Brayden Taylor.
	01/30/2025	Tampa Bay Rays invited non-roster 3B Brayden Taylor to spring training.
	07/30/2024	SS Brayden Taylor assigned to Montgomery Biscuits from Bowling Green Hot Rods.
	07/30/2024	Montgomery Biscuits activated SS Brayden Taylor.
	07/30/2024	Montgomery Biscuits activated SS Brayden Taylor.
	07/30/2024	Montgomery Biscuits activated SS Brayden Taylor.
	04/02/2024	SS Brayden Taylor assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods.
	04/02/2024	Bowling Green Hot Rods activated SS Brayden Taylor.
	03/13/2024	SS Brayden Taylor assigned to Tampa Bay Rays.
	03/07/2024	Tampa Bay Rays Prospects activated SS Brayden Taylor.
	08/09/2023	SS Brayden Taylor assigned to Charleston RiverDogs from FCL Rays.
	08/04/2023	SS Brayden Taylor assigned to FCL Rays.
	07/21/2023	Tampa Bay Rays signed SS Brayden Taylor.
	02/05/2023	3B Brayden Taylor assigned to TCU Horned Frogs.
	07/02/2022	USAB Stars Team activated SS Brayden Taylor.
	07/01/2022	SS Brayden Taylor and assigned to College Workout.
	02/06/2022	3B Brayden Taylor and assigned to TCU Horned Frogs.
	02/01/2021	SS Brayden Taylor assigned to TCU Horned Frogs.
	02/01/2021	SS Brayden Taylor assigned to TCU Horned Frogs.