The Pittsburgh Pirates have drafted Clemson outfielder Will Taylor with their fifth round pick, 145th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. Taylor was rated 165th overall by Baseball America and 203rd overall by MLB Pipeline.
Will Taylor, OF, Clemson
Age: 21 | DOB: 1/10/2003 | HT: 5′ 10″ | WT: 180 | B/T: R/R
2024 Stats
Taylor hit for a .230/.465/.480 line with seven homers in 145 plate appearances, before going down with a broken wrist in April. His numbers were down this year, after hitting .362/.489/.523 as a sophomore. He followed the sophomore season with a .231/.349/.337 line in the Cape Cod league last summer.
The History
Seen as a first round talent in 2021, Taylor opted to go to Clemson, passing up first round money to become a two-sport player. He played two years as a slot receiver, while also playing baseball. A torn ACL during his freshman year in football led to two surgeries, and him eventually dropping football. His baseball game took a step back in 2024, despite the single-sport focus. He also has lost some of his tools to injuries in his college career, most notably a reduction in his speed.
The Tools
Compiling the Baseball America and MLB Pipeline reports on Taylor.
Hit (45+): Taylor makes good decisions to limit his swings to within the strike zone, but misses frequently on breaking and off-speed pitches.
Power (45): He has fringe-average power, with a poor display in the wood bat Cape Cod league. The fractured wrist also raises questions about his ability to develop power going forward. He was a two-time state wrestling champion in high school, displaying good core strength.
Run (50+): Taylor was a plus-plus runner when he entered college, but the torn ACL has reduced him to an average runner, with a chance to trend above-average.
Field (55): He can play center field, due to his remaining speed and solid-average arm. There would be less pressure on the bat if he can stick in center.
Arm (50): The arm grades as average at best, which gives him the strength to stick in center.
Overall (40+): Taylor profiles as a center fielder who can handle the defensive side, but who has questions with his bat. He’ll need to recover from the wrist injury, then work on his recognition of breaking and off-speed stuff. His power is up in the air, with good raw strength, but poor results. He eliminates pitches outside the zone, which is a plus, but Taylor will ultimately be graded on how well he handles the pitches inside the zone.
