Rays select shortstop Brayden Taylor (No. 19) in First Round of 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft

The Tampa Bay Rays have selected shortstop Brayden Taylor from Texas Christian University with the No. 19 pick in the first round of the 2023 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Taylor, 21, hit .308/.430/.631 with 15 doubles, 23 HR, 70 RBI, 77 runs and 14 steals in 58 games during his junior season, earning First Team All-Big 12 and Third Team Baseball America All-American honors. His 23 home runs and 77 runs scored both tied single-season program records, while his 48 career homers broke Royce Huffman’s program record of 44 HR set in 1999. Taylor was named the 2023 Big 12 Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after going 8-for-16 (.500) with four doubles and three home runs, leading the Horned Frogs to their fourth Big 12 Tournament Championship in program history and their first College World Series appearance since 2017.

As a sophomore in 2022, Taylor hit .314/.454/.576 with 14 doubles, one triple, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 55 runs and 10 steals across 59 games, earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors. He played for the 2022 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team following the season.

As a freshman in 2021, he appeared in 58 games, hitting .324/.445/.572 with 11 doubles, four triples, 12 HR, 53 RBI, 54 runs and 15 steals, earning Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year, First Team Perfect Game Freshman All-American and First Team D1Baseball Freshman All-American honors. Following his freshman campaign, he was named a 2021 Cape Cod League All-Star as a member of the Falmouth Commodores.

Taylor was ranked as the No. 14 player in this year’s draft by MLB.com_,_ No 15. by Baseball America and No. 24 by FanGraphs.

BRAYDEN TAYLOR, SS

Bats/Throws: L/R | Height/Weight: 6-1/180 | Born: May 22, 2002 | Hometown: West Jordan, Utah

Rays First Selections, All-Time

1996 OF Paul Wilder No. 29 overall

1997 RHP Jason Standridge No. 31 overall

1998 1B Josh Pressley No. 132 overall

1999 OF Josh Hamilton No. 1 overall

2000 OF Rocco Baldelli No. 6 overall

2001 RHP Dewon Brazelton No. 3 overall

2002 SS B.J. Upton No. 2 overall

2003 OF Delmon Young No. 1 overall

2004 RHP Jeff Niemann No. 4 overall

2005 RHP Wade Townsend No. 8 overall

2006 3B Evan Longoria No. 3 overall

2007 LHP David Price No. 1 overall

2008 SS Tim Beckham No. 1 overall

2009 CF LeVon Washington No. 30 overall

2010 OF Josh Sale No. 17 overall

2011 RHP Taylor Guerrieri No. 24 overall

2012 3B Richie Shaffer No. 25 overall

2013 C Nick Ciuffo No. 21 overall

2014 1B Casey Gillaspie No. 20 overall

2015 OF Garrett Whitley No. 13 overall

2016 3B Joshua Lowe No. 13 overall

2017 LHP/1B Brendan McKay No. 4 overall

2018 LHP Matthew Liberatore No. 16 overall

2019 SS Greg Jones No. 22 overall

2020 RHP Nick Bitsko No. 24 overall

2021 SS Carson Williams No. 28 overall

2022 1B Xavier Isaac No. 29 overall

Notable Selections with the No. 19 Pick in June Draft History (since 1965)

Kevin Newman, SS, Pirates, 2015

John Mayberry, OF, Rangers, 2005

James Loney, 1B, Dodgers, 2002

Alex Rios, 3B, Blue Jays, 1999

Shannon Stewart, OF, Blue Jays, 1992

Roger Clemens, RHP, Red Sox, 1983

Franklin Stubbs, 1B, Dodgers, 1982

Mike Scioscia, C, Dodgers, 1976

Terry Whitfield, OF, Yankees, 1971

Bobby Grich, SS, Orioles, 1967