A new name has appeared in the Top 100 list for the White Sox.
Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen released his leaguewide prospect rankings on Monday, and like others, the Sox sported six names. Yet it was right-handed pitcher Grant Taylor, and not outfielder Braden Montgomery, included on this one.
Taylor, who turns 23 in May, squeezed in at No. 94 overall on Longenhagen’s ranking after just missing out on other publications’ lists. He was a second-round selection by the White Sox in 2023 and hurled 19.1 innings of 2.33 ERA, and 15 K/9 ball last season. Unfortunately, Taylor didn’t make another regular-season appearance after suffering a lat injury in June, though he did make a stop in the Arizona Fall League to log some extra innings. Despite his small body of work in 2024, Longenhagen spoke highly of the right-hander.
Taylor was only able to squeeze in 19.1 innings during the 2024 regular season once he was finished rehabbing, and came to the Arizona Fall League to pick up reps. At times he looked great there, flashing four average or better pitches, including a plus-flashing changeup that wasn’t part of Taylor’s college repertoire at all. Taylor sat 96-98 range early in outings and 94-98 overall. His fastball has vertical shape and plus ride, which pairs nicely with the shape of a 83-ish mph curveball that has fair depth but often lacks bite. Taylor’s 84-90 mph slider and 87-89 mph changeup are his two nastier secondary pitches. Breaking ball consistency will be key for Taylor moving forward.
A healthy and strong first half for Taylor should see him included in additional midseason Top 100 rankings.
Elswehere on Fangraphs’ Top 100 list, Noah Schultz came in at No. 18, Hagen Smith at 22, Kyle Teel at 49, Colson Montgomery at 58 and Edgar Quero at 90.
As mentioned earlier, outfielder Braden Montgomery was the noticeable omission after he landed comfortably inside MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 ranking at No. 55 overall. Acquired in the Garrett Crochet trade as Boston’s No. 5 prospect, Montgomery has yet to make his minor league debut due to an ankle injury that ended his junior season at Texas A&M.
As a former pitcher who sat in the mid-90s with his fastball, Montgomery has a cannon of an arm that should play well in right field. His bat, however, is what gives him so much value as a prospect. A switch hitter who can slug for power from both sides of the plate, Montgomery showed off an impressive ability to barrel the ball in college and put up some of the best exit velocities in the country. With his loud tools and seemingly unlimited ceiling, the new acquisition could move quickly up the system if he performs well now that he’s at full health.
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Featured Photo: Bill Mitchell/Baseball America
