Will the Astros take the Hoosier?
Dana Brown has shown a penchant for drafting college position players outside the traditional power conferences in the last two drafts. He has also shown that he is willing to go against the industry consensus to get the player he wants. One of the players who fits this mold is Devin Taylor, an outfielder from the University of Indiana, which is affectionately known as the Harvard of the Midwest. Here is a brief look at him.
Devin Taylor is a 6’1”, 21 year old junior from Ohio. He has above-average power as he broke the all-time Hoosier home-run record. His approach at the plate is mature as he walked more than he struck out in his junior season at Indiana. He dominated Big Ten pitching, but he also more than held his own in the Cape Cod league. In 29 games competing in the best college summer league, Taylor slashed .296/.397/.510. Clearly, his hit tool is what will pay the bills. If he played a premium position like shortstop he’d probably be a top 5 pick. However, his defense is viewed as fringy in Left field, and he may not be able to provide much value outside his bat. Still, there is a lot to like about Taylor.
The MLB draft is always going to be crapshoot, especially outside the top 5 picks. Taylor has the potential to hit 25-30 homers a year and consistently get on base at a high rate. That is valuable no matter how his defense develops.
It is likely that Taylor will be available to the Astros as most analysts predict that he will be drafted in the early to middle of the second round. I am not saying that the Astros should draft him, but he does fit the mold of Brown’s last two picks: college position players outside the SEC -ACC who had plus tools.