White Sox select Grant Taylor in second round of 2023 MLB draft

LSU Alex Box Stadium
LSU's Alex Box Stadium (davidpinter)

Last year, the White Sox used their second-round pick on Arkansas starter Peyton Pallette, even though he had missed just about the entire 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery.

By drafting LSU’s Grant Taylor in the second round this time around, we can safely say that scar doesn’t scare the Sox.

Taylor missed the entire 2023 season after having surgery to repair his torn UCL in February, and unlike Pallette, he didn’t even accrue experience as a starter. He pitched 31 innings over 17 appearances for the Tigers as a freshman in 2022, and the numbers didn’t really impress (5.81 ERA, 39 strikeouts against 21 walks).

That said, he put himself on the precipice of a leap with an outstanding showing in the Cape Cod League that summer, followed by a fall that put him on track to be a key member of LSU’s rotation and a potential first-round pick. Instead, Paul Skenes got that kind of boost, and Taylor had to settle for the second round instead.

What’s Grant Taylor’s game?

Another way Taylor is like Pallette: He throws 93-95 with a curveball, and both play up due to high spin rates. He also throws a cutter and a slider, but a changeup has never been part of his arsenal.

At 6-3 and 230 pounds, Taylor has a much bigger build than Pallette, although since they both had surgery and Pallette hasn’t spent a full year starting, you can’t make the natural deduction that it leads to greater durability.

That’s one question. The other is command, which greatly improved at the Cape. He struck out 30 against just two walks over 21 innings for Brewster, and throwing four-plus innings an outing showed that he had the potential to maintain his stuff deeper into game.

He has his fans …

https://twitter.com/KendallRogers/status/1678237313988526081?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

… and the White Sox probably have to be fans, too. He’s a draft-eligible sophomore, so he has some leverage in going back to the draft that the typical junior entry doesn’t have.

Where did Grant Taylor rank?

What does Grant Taylor look like?

https://twitter.com/GeoffPontesBA/status/1547221643830902784

More 2023 MLB Draft Coverage

Author

  • Jim Margalus

    Writing about the White Sox for a 16th season, first here, then at South Side Sox, and now here again. Letโ€™s talk curling.

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As Cirensica

So the White Sox selected with the 51 slot a player that most outlets ranked near the top 100? Well, I guess we shouldn’t read too much into this as there isn’t much difference between a 50th pick and a 100th pick…I think U have read.

HallofFrank

I wouldn’t look too much into rankings, anyway, until after the draft. Where a player gets drafted is less important than the bonus received. I’m interested to see how things shake out today.

ForsterFTOG

The dumbest front office in baseball once again trying to prove how smart they are.

dongutteridge

Letโ€™s be fair. Coloradoโ€™s front office is even dumber.

As Cirensica

This garbage smells bad but it is a sunny day vs this garbage smells bad on a cold rainy day.

ChiTownMax25

Colorado’s front office is dumber with decisions at the MLB level but they’ve drafted better than the White Sox.

Dennis

This has to be an under slot move. There are 7 or 8 high school arms ranked in the top 60 still available
Hoping the Sox will sign one.

FishSox

Maybe…but he is a Soph, so he has leverage.

knoxfire30

So this guy had surgery in February… basically looking at him “maybe” being ready for spring training next year if they follow the usual 12-14 month tjs recovery. Seems like a pretty high pick to roll the dice on a guy with an injury, an extended timeline, no real college success… but looked good in the cape…. idk

shaggy65

I’m willing to give Mike Shirley some benefit of the doubt when selecting these high-upside arms, but boy it seems like he’s a reach in the 2nd Rd and may well have been there in the 3rd.