The A's outfielder prospect is hitting .347 in Double-A with a case for Vegas, but defensive limitations and a crowded outfield loom. Manager Mark Kotsay breaks down the timeline.
One A's prospect that could find himself in Las Vegas shortly is outfielder Devin Taylor, who manager Mark Kotsay said he's arguably the team's best bat in the minor leagues. MLB Pipeline has him ranked No. 6 in the A's system in just his first full season.
In his first full professional season, Taylor was assigned to High-A Lansing to begin the year, where he hit .292 with a .425 OBP and an .861 OPS, adding six home runs in 57 games. Taylor was promoted to Double-A Midland on June 9, and in 47 games he has hit .347 with a .407 OBP and a .973 OPS, adding 10 home runs.
He's hitting for average and power and is making a strong case to reach the next level before the season is over. He's started August going 8-for-18 (.444) and has hit above .300 in each month in Midland.
The big question thus far has been his defensive ability, which could be the factor that keeps him in the minors a little longer. Given those early reports on him, Athletics Roundtable decided to ask Kotsay about Taylor last week.
How is the Defense Looking?
MLB Pipeline and FanGraphs view his defensive ability very differently. FanGraphs has his fielding rated as a 20 on the 20-80 scout scale, which is as bad as it gets. Pipeline has him at a 45, which still isn't great, but that's a playable glove. We asked about his defense, but first Kotsay wanted to gush about his bat.
"Obviously [bench coach] Darren Bush has told me all about him and filled me in on how much he likes [Taylor's] swing," Kotsay said. "He's dropped some weight, he's gotten a little more athletic, so I think that's helped his defense. I know that it's a priority to improve his defense. I think there's still a lot of growth in there."
Taylor played mostly left field in college, but has been splitting some time between left and right field this year. In Midland, he's seen more time in right, getting into 24 there and 17 in left.
He could be a DH type that moves quickly through the system, but the A's already have Brent Rooker locked in at that spot, while Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler patrol left and right fields. All three of those players have signed extensions, which complicates Taylor's path to the big leagues.
Development Plan
The A's aren't a team that likes to promote players straight from Midland to the big leagues. They believe in checking off boxes at every level. Yet, after the club played regular season games in Las Vegas back in June, some eyes were opened to the challenges that Las Vegas Ballpark presents.
We asked about the potential of advancing pitchers straight from Midland to Sacramento, skipping Vegas and the trauma that would come with it, and the response wasn't a flat no, but that the organization still believes in having Triple-A be a development step for pitchers, with them having to go through some adversity.
With Taylor blasting off, we asked Kotsay if the club would consider advancing a bat — not necessarily Taylor, just more general — with the thought process of not wanting to get this hitter to develop bad routines and tendencies because how easily the ball flies at Vegas Ballpark.
"I think the key factors with development are trying to get every player at a level where they experience some failure," Kotsay said. "I think there's some separation between the big leagues and Triple-A in terms of performance and the way that it translates right now.
He added that he didn't want to say that it's not a possibility, but sometimes a hitter benefits from going to a hitter's park and gaining that confidence.
"I don't think that they'll do anything differently to change the way they attack the baseball from Double-A to Triple-A," Kotsay continued. "Whether the ball stays in the air longer, the foundation is built by the time they get there in terms of how they approach the zone and what their swing path is. But if they do, then there's obviously indicators that we'll we'll see and be able to make adjustments."
While it's unlikely he finds himself on the A's roster this season, Kotsay says that it's important for a prospect to face some adversity. Thus far he hasn't faced any in High-A or Double-A this season, which likely leads to a promotion to Las Vegas in the coming weeks to give him a look at the level before the end of the season.
