Taylor, who was drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 draft, enters camp after playing in the Arizona Fall League over the offseason. Most of his value comes from his speed and defense, as his bat is currently his weakest aspect of his game.

Taylor got into 108 games with Greenville in 2025, where he managed to hit .216/.355/.349 with 24 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 41 RBIs. He also managed to steal 29 bases and walked 81 times.

Offensively, he has a quick bat, but his swing can get long at times and can often miss pitches in the zone. He struggles against off-speed and breaking pitches but manages to see a lot of pitches per at-bat. Due to his struggles against left-handed pitching at the lower minor-league levels, he’s very likely to be a platoon bat at his best. His power is viewed as being potentially league average especially when he pulls the ball and against right-handed pitchers, but it will all be determined by how he develops as an overall hitter. His speed is a huge quality of his profile, and he has great baserunning instincts that allow him to put pressure on the defense when he’s on base.

Defensively, he has good instincts and above-average range in the outfield and is likely to stick in center field long term thanks to his athleticism while his arm is viewed as being above-average.

With the need to continue working on his offensive game, Taylor will likely begin the season in Greenville and could spend most of the season there dependent on his development at the plate. Should he be a league-average hitter with Greenville in 2026, he could see a promotion to Portland some time near the end of July or early August depending on how the trade deadline goes. There’s also the possibility that he puts everything together and the team promotes him earlier than that, though it’s less likely at this point in time.