2014 Prospect Countdown: #38 Dominique Taylor

38. Dominique Taylor Outfield

www.kcroyals.com

Age: 21
Position: OF
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Drafted in the 15th Round (444th Overall) of the 2013 Amateur Draft
From: Frankfort, Germany

Landon Adams (NR): Admittedly, I don't know much about the #38 prospect on our 2014 countdown. I do know that in additional to his impressive numbers in Idaho Falls, Taylor has the peripherals to back them. He squared up 2% more balls than his league counterparts and struck out 7.6% less. A right handed hitter, Taylor displayed much more power against same side pitching (.520 slug) than he did against southpaws (.417). I'm interested to see if this is a small sample size issue or if Taylor really will have a reverse platoon split as his career progresses.

Paden Bennett (NR):  Easy to forget about the 15th round selection out of last year's draft when Hunter Dozier burst onto the scene and started raking.  Well, Dominique Taylor stood out as well.  Taylor had a great first season in Idaho Falls with a .882 OPS.  The German native showed a good power/speed combination with 8 homers and 13 steals in 233 at bats.  Taylor may be a player to keep an eye on.

Joe Cox (28): Another player with very little major league experience (though more than nothing!) makes this list.  Drafted in the 15^th round of lasts year’s draft out of UC Irvine, I ranked Taylor at the tail end of my ranks in part because of his impressive offensive debut in the Pioneer League.  At age 20, Taylor hit .322/.380/.502 in 261 PA’s for Idaho Falls, his starts split between LF and CF. The numbers that jump out to me were his 8 home runs and solid 11.1% strike out rate, he also added 13 SB.  There has to be an asterisk next to Taylor’s good numbers due to the offensive environments of the Pioneer League, but any sign of a power/speed combo with good contact skills is something to monitor.

Dan Ware (NR): 1st round pick Hunter Dozier wasn't the only player to impress in his debut season.  Now 21, the young outfielder compiled an impressive line to begin his professional career.  Taylor showed decent power with 8 HR, had a low K rate, low GB rate, and even flashed some speed on the base paths.  Dominique will likely head to Lexington come 2014, along with fellow team mate Hunter Dozier.

Total Points: 3