Biscuits' top-rated prospect Taylor battling through learning curve

Biscuits infielder Brayden Taylor has struggled at times in his first full season at the Double A level but has shown improvement as the season has progressed. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

Brayden Taylor’s first impression of Montgomery wasn’t a good one.

The Utah native had just been promoted to Double-A and joined the Biscuits when he acquired a case of food poisoning.

“That was definitely tough,” he recalled. “I had just moved here, gotten some food and was throwing up all night. And we had to get on the bus to go to Birmingham the next day.”

He struggled against the Barons. In fact, he struggled for quite some time.

 “It was tough watching him,” Biscuits manager Kevin Boles said. “He comes in, gets food poisoning and lost like 10 pounds in three days, so he was playing catchup the whole time. (Seeing him) in spring training, some of the things we saw, it was like now I’m starting to understand what everybody’s talking about.

“He’d be the first to tell you (in 2024) it was fast for him, but he also was not physically there. He had gone through a lot.”

Montgomery opens the second half of the 2025 season on Tuesday opening a nine-game homestand against Rocket City for six games followed by three games against Columbus. The Biscuits completed the first half on Sunday, finishing second to Biloxi in the Southern League South Division.

There were high expectations from the first day Taylor arrived, but that’s understandable for the third-rated prospect in Tampa’s minor league system. Taylor was selected with the 19th pick in the 2023 draft, a first-round talent known for his glove and his versatility.

Interestingly enough, he may be a better fit for Tampa at third base because of Carson Williams’ ability at shortstop, but Taylor didn’t play third base until he was arrived at Texas Christian.   

“I grew up playing shortstop and second base,” he said. “In high school, I played shortstop. Before high school, I was mainly only a second baseman. “They (TCU) started me at third because they wanted to add versatility. They knew I could play shortstop, they knew I had experience at second base. They were like, hey, we’re going to put you at third base because we want to see your versatility.”

Taylor, who had lost his senior year in high school to Covid, made an immediate impact at TCU, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2021.

“It was a very cool honor,” Taylor said. “Having my senior year taken away by Covid was definitely a challenge but I was able to get in some work and get better even though we weren’t playing actual games.”

He joined Williams in Montgomery last August, giving the Biscuits the No. 1 and No. 3 prospects in the Rays’ organization playing side by side.

“It’s definitely a big jump,” Taylor said at the beginning of the 2025 season. “The pitching was definitely a lot better. I quickly realized the game is the same, the speed of the game. I’ve played this game my whole life. I’m only going to speed myself up, the game isn’t going to speed up, it’s just you being out there and playing mind games.

“I’m really glad I was able to get up here and get that experience because now I’m a little more comfortable. I know what to expect. I knew what to work on going into the offseason.”

Throughout much of April, he looked like a guy who had learned from his experiences the year before. His glovework provided several highlights and he was a force at the plate through the first three weeks of the season.

“I’ll tell you what, his approach at the plate is pretty impressive,” Boles said. “The backspin he can create on the ball, when he hits it, and the carry that just continues to go, there are a few players that have that. And his play at third base, it’s a different throwing motion but, boy, is it quick release.”

But as Taylor and the Biscuits hit May, their offensive numbers fell off. Taylor went the entire month without a multi-hit game, watching his batting average plummet to .139 as he had at least one strikeout in 20 of his 24 appearances.

“He’s not happy with the results he’s gotten so far,” Boles said. “That’s understandable because his standards are really high. But he’s also a guy that we don’t want him to be too tough on himself because we’re two months into this season. There’s a lot of baseball left to be played.”

In the Biscuits’ last home stand, he went 5 for 17, still below his standards but a sign that he might be returning to form.

“It’s definitely a challenge but I pride myself in the mental game of trying to stay consistent,” Taylor said. “Just be consistent with my work because that’s the only thing that’s going to help me get out of everything we go through -- trust my preparation, trust the process.

“You don’t want to look too far ahead, you don’t want to get ahead of yourself and try to do too much. When things are not going so well, you want to go back to the basics -- lay a bunt down, try to hit the ball the other way, things like that.”

He entered the month of June with a 2-for-3 game, drawing a walk and driving in a run, his first multi-hit game since April 19. Like the other Biscuits, Taylor wants to put May in the rear view mirror and try to capture the first-half division title this month.

“I definitely believe in myself to the fullest, that I’m better than every pitcher that goes out there,” Taylor said. “That’s just my belief system. You’ve got to have that confidence going into the game. But these guys are really good. They make some good pitches. It’s really fun going out there and competing against these guys.”

He’s played second, third and shortstop for the Biscuits this season, shaking off any offensive woes with solid defensive play in the field. That’s why Boles is confident the best lies ahead for Taylor.

“He’s played quality baseball at third and second base,” Boles said, “but there are some adjustments at the plate that he needs to make. Sometimes, the strike zone expands. He’s been working a lot behind in the count. But his work ethic and the way he goes about his business, he’s an intelligent player, that’s one of those cases where we don’t want guys to forget what they are. He’s had a terrific amount of success up to this point and there’s no reason why that shouldn’t continue. We believe in Brayden Taylor.”