Red Sox select Polk State outfielder Nelly Taylor with 11th-round pick in 2023 MLB Draft

Taylor, 20, is Boston’s first Day 3 pick and the first player taken by the club out of a junior college. The left-handed hitting sophomore batted .353/.467/.620 with 19 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 48 RBIs, 46 runs scored, 31 stolen bases, 36 walks, and 42 strikeouts in 51 games (229 plate appearances) for Polk State this past season.

On the other side of the ball, Taylor did not commit a single error in 127 total chances in the outfield. Between what he did offensively and defensively, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder was named a first-team All-Suncoast Conference selection, Suncoast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, a second-team All-FCSAA selection, and an FCSAA and Rawlings Gold Glove recipient.

Per MLB Pipeline, “Taylor’s raw tools started to show up more in his second year of junior college as he showed off some of his power-speed combination. He has a quick bat and a loose swing, with long levers that can generate plus raw power. He’s also a plus runner, with the speed and range to play center field, but how much he’ll hit is in question, as his swing can get long at times.”

A native of Clearwater, Taylor faced adversity early in his childhood. At just five years old, he was diagnosed with cancer when doctors found a Wilms tumor on his kidney. He had his kidney removed as a result but has been cancer-free since the age of six.

Though his condition prevented him from playing contact sports growing up, Taylor emerged as a legitimate baseball prospect and is now committed to play at Florida State next year.

If Taylor, who turns 21 in January, elects to go pro as opposed to taking his talents to Tallahassee, the Red Sox can sign him for up to $150,000 without it counting toward their bonus pool.

(Top picture: Alika Jenner/Getty Images)