Locals In MiLB: Former Copper Hills Standout Lands On Tampa Bay Prospect List

SALT LAKE CITY – Former Copper Hills Grizzly baseball star Brayden Taylor has become one of the jewels of the Tampa Bay Rays farm system. The third baseman/shortstop was rated the Rays third best prospect with Tier One potential.

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter released his updated MLB farm system rankings on Monday, December 30. Reuter ranked the Rays’ system second-best in MLB. Tampa Bay is considered by many to have one of the best farm systems and development programs in professional baseball.

Who got the best young talent?@JoelReuterBR ranks all 30 teams' farm systems 👉 https://t.co/MHkKVHF0eT pic.twitter.com/RKyExsFwz3

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) December 30, 2024

Taylor showed off all-star potential while playing 114 games across Single-A and Double-A in 2024.

The former Grizzly began the season at High-A Bowling Green, slashing .269/.389/.513 in 84 games before a promotion to Double-A Montgomery in late July.

Taylor went hitless in five of his first six games after the promotion but settled in to get nine hits over his next four games. He ended the year with a .194 batting average, six homers, and 17 runs knocked in.

About Brayden Taylor

Double-A Montgomery Biscuits – Tampa Bay Rays

A 2020 Copper Hills High School graduate, Taylor was rated the 188th-ranked high school prospect according to Perfect Game, entering his senior season after earning first-team all-state and all-region recognition as a sophomore and junior. Taylor left Copper Hills with a .461 career batting average while being named to the academic honor roll all four years.

Brayden Taylor (@braydentaylor02) smacks one out of here!!#ButterUp🧈 pic.twitter.com/PpnoOGccpO

— Montgomery Biscuits (@BiscuitBaseball) September 1, 2024

Taylor committed to Texas Christian University (TCU) following his prep career. The West Jordan, Utah native didn’t miss a beat at the next level, starting 58 games and hitting .324. Taylor was named to several postseason all-freshman lists and was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He made the All-Big 12 Second Team as a sophomore and the All-Big 12 First Team as a junior.

In three seasons with the Horned Frogs, Taylor became the program’s first position player first-round pick. He launched 48 home runs, including 23 long balls as a junior. Taylor hit .315 in 184 career games and had an OPS (on-base + slugging) above 1.000 all three years.

Before the 2024 season, MLB.com projects Taylor as a solid defender, settling a third base in the future.

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.

2024 Stats: 114 games | .250 | 106 Hits | 27 2B | 8 3B | 20 HR | 62 RBI | 76 BB | 141 K | 29 SB

2023 Stats: .242 BA | 25 games | 5 HR | 15 RBI

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.

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