It’s not technically the BP Ten Pack or the BA Hotsheet, but Kevin Goldstein has started giving daily minor league updates over at Baseball Prospectus. It hasn’t fallen under the guise of premium content (at least not yet), so it’s certainly worth the daily read for all of you minor league aficionados. Anyhoo, Goldstein has Michael Taylor in today’s update:
Michael Taylor, OF, Phillies (Double-A Reading)
Thursday’s stats: 3-for-5, 2 2B, HR (3), 5 RBI
After three disappointing years at Stanford, Taylor got away from the single-plane “Stanford swing” in 2008 and suddenly delivered a .346/.412/.557 season while suddenly looking like the player who in high school was one of the best tools guys in the country. A monster athlete at six-foot-six and 250 pounds, Taylor is batting .424 during a current seven game hitting streak and .338/.389/.569 overall. The scary part? Some think he’s just starting to tap into his potential.
Just to add a few tidbits: there was some concern last year that Taylor’s strikeout-to-walk ratio in Clearwater indicated that he would have some difficulty adjusting to Double-A, but his 10:6 ratio so far this year is more than manageable. His .231 ISO, 6 walks, and 5 stolen bases (in 5 attempts) add up to a .400 SecA. We’re just a few weeks into the season, but the early returns are certainly promising.
Phuture Phillies 
How about that…!
The guy could move himself to candidacy for a spot with the big club in ’10.
A “monster” in the OF along with one at 1st base.
We might be renamed as “The Monsters.” (NOT MUNSTERS)
With Ibanez smacking the ball around, where would he fit? MAYBE a trade involving Werth in ’10 or soon thereafter. But not in any hurry. With Ibanez in LF with a CONTRACT TO EXPIRE at ’11s season’s end, will face a crowd of good outfielders. Taylor SMASHER!
Hoping for continuing good news from him. Lehigh Valley maybe at the season’s halfway point….where he and Donald (and Marson) will be readying themselves for ’10 arrival for the big club. Add Carrasco, etc.
Good tidings!
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Being with Reading in ST may have helped his “transition”
to the higher level. C’mon admit it he is the first thing you look for in the box scores after the pitching. An exciting player. thanks for the work
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My man love for Taylor continues to grow. What’s the value of a guy like Werth in a trade though?
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I would think Werth’s stock is on the rise,
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It’d be a nice problem to have next year if Taylor matures to a point where he’s breathing down Werth’s next.
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Just to clarify…by “matures”…I really mean develops.
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You don’t trade Werth just to make room for Taylor. We are talking about a guy who has shown the capabilities to have a 30/30 season in the Majors.
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Let Werth’s contract expire,he has a couple nice years in Philly,he sighn’s elsewhere,we get a pick from that team and taylor step’s in,I love when a plan comes thru
rauuuul’s contract expire’s the following year and here comes
Brown
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You gotta love Taylor especially considering that he didn’t much the first week or two. The same with Dom Brown who is also now hitting. Its great to have options and the minor league system is looking like a top 10 system at the moment, although I understand its still early in the season, and that will provide the big club with lots of options.
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Taylor can be the 4th OF next year and RH bat off the bench the team doesn’t have right now, and then step into a starting role in 2011 if Werth walks.
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Heading over to see Taylor tonight. The sun just came out. What amazes me is this guy is 5 for 5 in stolen bases so far and the last time Reading was in Harrisburg Taylor threw the ball over his catcher’s head and off the backstop on the fly from left field. Saw last night he nailed a runner at home from right field. His legend continues to grow.
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There is room for both Werth and Taylor. The team needs 4 legit OF. I fear we will feel the lack of a real 4th OF if we sustain any injuries this season. I’m not counting for much from Ibanez in 2011 in any case.
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I wish on of them could play third.
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From BA’s weekly chat:
JAYPERS (IL): Any love for Michael Taylor? What kept him off? His past week’s numbers: 10-for-24/.416 avg/3-2B’s/1-3B/1HR/5RBI/1BB/3K/2SB (2/2).
J.J. Cooper: He was on the follow list this week and ended up in the group of guys just missing the team photo. While it was a very good week, the hitters who made the list just edged him.
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Whoops, no more hitting streak….way to go, BP 😉
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Michael Taylor is one of the best defensive outfielder I have seen at the AA level. Friday night he makes a charging shoe string catch in right on a line drive and tonight he throws out a runner at home from left field. He is the best 5 tool player I have seen play in Harrisburg since Valdimir Guerrero in 1996.
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Taylor and Dom Brown really have me excited. It’s about time some position players started hitting with all the pitching we’ve been enjoying so far.
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rb thats quite a statement i hope you right. actually thats an incredible statement but if thats your instinct than go with it.
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rb i have to say i respect the fact you were willing to go that much out on a limb. guts
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I know this is a Michael Taylor thread, but Dom Brown has been on fire lately: ops now in the mid 900s, iso around 250. I wonder if he has turned the page from “solid player” to “star player”
It would be nice to get him and Taylor in Reading together.
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John Sickels had this to say about Dom Brown on his minor league ball site:
**Dominic Brown’s breakout is in progress. The Phillies outfield prospect is hitting .318/.400/.576 with four homers and seven steals for Class A Clearwater, showing strong plate discipline, speed, and improved power production. He had made major progress last year, needing only better power to complete the package, and right now it looks like that is happening. You really need to pay close attention to this guy; I think he’s the real deal, a tools guy who is developing his skills rapidly.
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I read that Seattle had scouts @ the Reading games this past weekend. Could Bedard be closer to Philadelphia?
If there is any veracity to this, I certainly hope that Taylor is not part of the scenario. I now believe that Taylor should be classified as an “untouchable”, along with Drabek & Brown.
This guy is going to be a “Star” and if we trade him, we will most likely regret it forever!
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From BP today on a comment section.
(46031)
KG, Is Mike Taylor a monster or what? .957 OPS, 12 Homeruns, 10 steals, 6 foot 6, laser rocket arm. How do you think he would do in the bigs now?
Jun 22, 2009 11:05 AM
Kevin Goldstein:
I think he’d struggle, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a prospect. I talked to a scout about him today. So look for that in an upcoming BIG scouting notebook — or rather series of scouting notebooks.
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Not once does a scout say we have a elite prospect, or maybe its me. Taylor would struggle. Why ? If you read about oakland every body they have is great elite.
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I don’t think he meant he’s not elite, he was inferring that he wouldn’t do well in the major leagues right now.
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This guy is a man among boys in AA. I saw him tonight in Trenton and he dominated at the plate. Unfortunately, he was DH so I couldn’t see him on the field.
He has the potential to be a special player so I hope that if the Phils use him as trade bait, they get something in return.
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joedad
nice comments
Kevin Goldstein:
I think he’d struggle, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a prospect. I talked to a scout about him today.
The one thing I hate is people who try to tell you what you see with own eyes isn’t true.
Just what does Taylor have to do to make Mr Goldstein happy.
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You’ve seen Taylor hit AA pitching. Wieters hit even better in the Eastern League and then he went and slugged under .400 in Norfolk for a couple months. Not even the big leagues. It is a perfectly reasonable observation to say that Taylor would struggle in the big leagues right now.
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Of course what was i thinking.
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Just to add a few tidbits: there was some concern last year that Taylor’s strikeout-to-walk ratio in Clearwater indicated that he would have some difficulty adjusting to Double-A, but his 10:6 ratio so far this year is more than manageable. His .231 ISO, 6 walks, and 5 stolen bases (in 5 attempts) add up to a .400 SecA. We’re just a few weeks into the season, but the early returns are certainly promising.
All true but you have to factor in that he is the star offensive
player and looked at to produce runs. On the major league level he may exhibit more patience without the burden
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Daryl Jones instead of Taylor RIGHHHT
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