With the 51st pick in the 2013 MLB draft the Pittsburgh Pirates selected left-handed prep pitcher Blake Taylor. We had Taylor in our “Hopefully They Fall to the Second Round” tier in our Top 100 Draft Rankings.
He’s a projectable left-hander who sits 89-92 MPH with his fastball, and has good movement. He has touched mid-90s with the pitch, and has a good curveball. He has a clean and easy delivery, and could eventually sit low-to-mid 90s with the fastball.
Fastball command is an issue for Taylor, and he also needs to learn a changeup. Those are both things the Pirates stress with prep pitchers in the lower levels. If Taylor signs quickly, he could start working on that this year in the GCL. He’s got a commitment to Hawaii, and was expected to go in the top two or three rounds.
Keith Law said he’s got mid-rotation starter potential, but is a long-term play with a lot of variables before he gets there. Baseball America calls his potential “tantalizing”.
More on Taylor:
- Taylor went 2-3 with a 2.57 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 11 games this year as a senior at Dana Hills (CA) High School. He was rated by Baseball America as the 32nd-best pitcher in this year’s draft.
- The 6-foot-3 Taylor was also a 2013 Rawlings third-team All-American selection and California All Region First-Team selection.
