2025 MLB Draft Profile: Devin Taylor
NAME: Devin Taylor
SCHOOL: Indiana
POSITION: OF
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’1″/215 pounds
B/T: L/R
D.O.B: 01/06/2004
Previously Drafted: N/A
Scouting Report
From the moment that Devin Taylor stepped foot on Indiana’s campus, he became a star. Despite being one of the better prep players in the state of Ohio coming out in the class of 2022, Taylor was not drafted as a prep player. Known for his hit tool–and maybe only his hit tool–Taylor exits Indiana as arguably the best hitter in Indiana’s storied history.
The left-handed hitter was ranked as the #78 overall prospect by Perfect Game while also being the #2 prospect from the state of Ohio. Taylor attended LaSalle High School which is a Catholic, all-male high school in Cincinnati, Ohio. One of the more prominent alums from the high school is current UCLA head basketball coach Mick Cronin.
As a 2023 Freshman All-American and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Taylor slugged 16 homers and drove in 60 runs, while striking out just 18% of the time in his introduction to collegiate pitching. Following his Freshman season, Taylor played summer ball in New England, where he nearly matched his production from the spring, hitting .314.
Taylor’s Sophomore season saw him become a Third Team All-American per Rawlings, the ABCA, and a Perfect Game Second Team All-American. Taylor hit the cover off of the ball, toting a .357 batting average, with 20 homers, the first Hoosier to do so in almost 15 years (Numbers not even Kyle Schwarber achieved). Taylor struck out just 38 times in his Sophomore year. The hit tool from Taylor coming out of his Sophomore year, was the best in the Big-10, however, it is the Big-10, and Indiana had been eliminated in the Regionals two years in a row, sparing Taylor from the national spotlight.
Taylor’s performance on the Cape following his Sophomore season, is an anomaly compared to his collegiate career. It was the only time that Taylor hit under .300 (.297) and only slugged .510, a mark almost .150 points lower than *any* of his collegiate seasons. Taylor also struck out 25% of the time on the Cape, a number significantly inflated from his college strikeout rate. It’s important to note that the Cape Cod League is played with wood bats however.
Taylor’s junior year was as decorated as the first two. A first-team All-American and a Golden Spikes Finalist, as well as becoming the all-time home run record holder at Indiana, highlighted his season. Taylor walked more than he ever had, tallying the third-most walks in a season in program history, with 52. Defensively, Taylor committed just two errors all year, amassing 150 career starts in the corner outfield positions, with just one start in center.
Taylor’s best tool is, by far, his hit tool. Could he run into 20-25 homers in the major leagues? At his ceiling, probably, however, that total could just as easily be within the 10-15 range. The fact of the matter is Taylor is a college, corner outfielder, that feasted on Big-10 pitching. Give credit, where it is due, Taylor dominated the strike zone throughout his college career, has shown the ability to draw walks, and work the count, something that Chris Getz and his front office have placed a premium on (Midwest kid as well…cough, cough, Mike Shirley). Not to mention, a 169 WRC+ in his final college season is far from a turnoff.
Why Would the White Sox Draft Devin Taylor?
From a 10,000 foot view, the Chicago White Sox need bats that can quickly move through their system and provide relief, specifically in the outfield sooner rather than later. Now, the Major League Baseball draft is not as “plug and play” as that, but with Ryan Fuller now in command of the White Sox hitting department, and the continued emphasis on pitching, it make sense for the White Sox to take an outfield bat.
With Braden Montgomery penciled in as the right fielder of the future, center field and left field are question marks. The big question remains: Does the White Sox Front Office believe in a high ceiling prep infielder, that could without a doubt be a big league star, or a high floor college bat, spooked by the ghosts of Andrew Vaughn and Nick Madrigal.
Mike Shirley is entering his sixth draft as the director of amateur scouting for the White Sox. The department under his tutelage has been hasn’t been shy about adding Midwest players and the Indiana native knows the players from own state very well. At this point though, Taylor seems like a reach at #10 overall but the franchise would have to consider him at #44 at the top of round two if available.
Mock Draft Outcomes
Taylor has consistently been mocked in the late teens through the competitive balance round. There is very little chance that he makes it to the White Sox at #44 based on mock draft outcomes. Jonathon Mayo had Taylor landing in Boston at pick #33 back on June 26th. In the latest from MLB Pipeline, Jim Callis projected the Indiana outfielder to the Baltimore Orioles at #31.
Kiley McDaniel of ESPN had Taylor falling to the Mets at #38, citing Taylor’s comp round interest. James Fox, of FutureSox, has Taylor coming off the board at #32 to the Milwaukee Brewers. Interestingly enough, Just Baseball does not have Taylor getting selected within the first 40 picks of their June 16th mock, meaning there is a chance for him to slide to the Sox at #44.
