Devin Taylor Keeps Getting Better

[Evan Alvarez]

Now that we're around the halfway point of this season I wanted to dig into Devin Taylor's performance over the years. See below for some takeaways I've gathered (all stats from fangraphs.com):

• In sensational fashion, Taylor has improved nearly every single one of his metrics year after year.
  • Freshman: .315/.430/.650 with 16 HR, 59 RBI, and a wRC+ of 143.
  • Sophomore: .357/.449/.660 with 20 HR, 54 RBI, and a wRC+ of 150
  • Junior (2025): .375/.496/.732 with 10 HR, 33 RBI, and a wRC+ of 166 (again, at about the halfway point)

• EVERY SINGLE METRIC HAS IMPROVED! Sure, one would expect this as you get older, but it never happens quite like this. Taylor is, as we all know, one of the best hitters in college baseball - I mean he gets on base nearly 50% of the time - and is showing truly amazing signs of being an impact big leaguer too. For example, let's look at his year over year plate discipline metrics:
  • Freshman: 14.8% walk rate / 18.9% strikeout rate
  • Sophomore: 13% walk rate / 13.3% strikeout rate
  • Junior (2025): 19.9% walk rate / 12.1% strikeout rate
• Each season, Taylor grew in strike zone awareness, is chasing balls less, and has massively improved in plate discipline. It was already quite good his freshman year, but has grown significantly. These metrics, in my opinion, are far more telling of how successful a player will be in the majors than any other metrics. If you know the strike zone, don't swing at balls, and swing at strikes, you will have success in the majors.

• This is why MLB teams are so excited about Taylor in the upcoming draft and why he projects to be another first round pick for your Indiana Hoosiers. Can't wait to continue following his career!

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think

 

[kraft cheese+macaroni]

Now that we're around the halfway point of this season I wanted to dig into Devin Taylor's performance over the years. See below for some takeaways I've gathered (all stats from fangraphs.com):

• In sensational fashion, Taylor has improved nearly every single one of his metrics year after year.
  • Freshman: .315/.430/.650 with 16 HR, 59 RBI, and a wRC+ of 143.
  • Sophomore: .357/.449/.660 with 20 HR, 54 RBI, and a wRC+ of 150
  • Junior (2025): .375/.496/.732 with 10 HR, 33 RBI, and a wRC+ of 166 (again, at about the halfway point)

• EVERY SINGLE METRIC HAS IMPROVED! Sure, one would expect this as you get older, but it never happens quite like this. Taylor is, as we all know, one of the best hitters in college baseball - I mean he gets on base nearly 50% of the time - and is showing truly amazing signs of being an impact big leaguer too. For example, let's look at his year over year plate discipline metrics:
  • Freshman: 14.8% walk rate / 18.9% strikeout rate
  • Sophomore: 13% walk rate / 13.3% strikeout rate
  • Junior (2025): 19.9% walk rate / 12.1% strikeout rate
• Each season, Taylor grew in strike zone awareness, is chasing balls less, and has massively improved in plate discipline. It was already quite good his freshman year, but has grown significantly. These metrics, in my opinion, are far more telling of how successful a player will be in the majors than any other metrics. If you know the strike zone, don't swing at balls, and swing at strikes, you will have success in the majors.

• This is why MLB teams are so excited about Taylor in the upcoming draft and why he projects to be another first round pick for your Indiana Hoosiers. Can't wait to continue following his career!

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think

I think Mercer (and Glant) have wasted this kid's career at IU and it only makes it that much more frustrating.

 

[SammyJacobs]

I think Mercer (and Glant) have wasted this kid's career at IU and it only makes it that much more frustrating.

Mercer was brought in and dubbed the "Brad Stevens" of baseball. He has been underwhelming at best. There's too much talent on this team to be throwing the ball around the yard like U4 tee ball.

 

[ptrich]

D1baseball, in their latest ranking of outfielders destined to be taken in the draft, had Taylor as their No. 2 outfielder.

 

[Evan Alvarez]

D1baseball, in their latest ranking of outfielders destined to be taken in the draft, had Taylor as their No. 2 outfielder.

He certainly has among the best bats in his entire class. Very excited to see which team takes him

 

[Seyton]

I think Mercer (and Glant) have wasted this kid's career at IU and it only makes it that much more frustrating.

But by far his biggest issue is Glant and the pitching. It's been consistently awful. Not consistently bad, but consistently awful and he simply either can't see it or doesn't know how to fix it, either of which are deeply concerning. I'd have to imagine he's on the hot seat, here.

 

[ptrich]

But by far his biggest issue is Glant and the pitching. It's been consistently awful. Not consistently bad, but consistently awful and he simply either can't see it or doesn't know how to fix it, either of which are deeply concerning. I'd have to imagine he's on the hot seat, here.

It's been an up and down issue over the years. In the game yesterday, it was pretty good with seven pitchers used and only two earned runs given up. Our atrocious fielding turned a win into a huge loss in the 8th inning, considering Louisville was a ranked team coming into the game.

 

[kraft cheese+macaroni]

But by far his biggest issue is Glant and the pitching. It's been consistently awful. Not consistently bad, but consistently awful and he simply either can't see it or doesn't know how to fix it, either of which are deeply concerning. I'd have to imagine he's on the hot seat, here.

I think after the first 3 weeks or so this year, the pitching has been serviceable. While the defense has been atrocious. And combine those two, it's been a disaster. I could certainly live with the pitching effort we got yesterday, as well as for 2.5 games over the weekend vs USC...and what we got for most of the UCLA series.

 

[ptrich]

I think after the first 3 weeks or so this year, the pitching has been serviceable. While the defense has been atrocious. And combine those two, it's been a disaster. I could certainly live with the pitching effort we got yesterday, as well as for 2.5 games over the weekend vs USC...and what we got for most of the UCLA series.

Don't forget that it is absolutely amazing that our hitters can be hot with the ball looking like a beach ball and then all of a sudden it looks like a pea to them during a game. You could give credit to the pitcher on the mound, but we have seen them not being able to hit a pitchers with elevated ERAs.

 

[Seyton]

I think after the first 3 weeks or so this year, the pitching has been serviceable. While the defense has been atrocious. And combine those two, it's been a disaster. I could certainly live with the pitching effort we got yesterday, as well as for 2.5 games over the weekend vs USC...and what we got for most of the UCLA series.

I disagree with the series against USC, but agree with you on the UCLA series. Pitching against real teams has been atrocious in my opinion. Against Q4 opponents it's been fine, I guess. Just in Big Ten play we've given up double digits in almost half of our games.

The defense has been bad, too, I agree. But for me, the pitching is the barking dog.

 

[Seyton]

It's been an up and down issue over the years. In the game yesterday, it was pretty good with seven pitchers used and only two earned runs given up. Our atrocious fielding turned a win into a huge loss in the 8th inning, considering Louisville was a ranked team coming into the game.

The last game against USC the pitching was good, I agree. But the two games before that were really bad.

 

[ptrich]

The last game against USC the pitching was good, I agree. But the two games before that were really bad.

You need to read my post again. I said it has been up and down this season which can be proven if anyone wants to go over every game played this season. I only commented about yesterday's game as one where the pitching was pretty good with only two earned runs given up. I didn't get into any other games where it wasn't as good and there were certainly enough of those games.