The Tampa Bay Rays have selected shortstop Brayden Taylor from Texas Christian University with the No. 19 pick in the first round of the 2023 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Taylor, 21, hit .308/.430/.631 with 15 doubles, 23 HR, 70 RBI, 77 runs and 14 steals in 58 games during his junior season, earning First Team All-Big 12 and Third Team Baseball America All-American honors. His 23 home runs and 77 runs scored both tied single-season program records, while his 48 career homers broke Royce Huffman’s program record of 44 HR set in 1999. Taylor was named the 2023 Big 12 Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after going 8-for-16 (.500) with four doubles and three home runs, leading the Horned Frogs to their fourth Big 12 Tournament Championship in program history and their first College World Series appearance since 2017.

As a sophomore in 2022, Taylor hit .314/.454/.576 with 14 doubles, one triple, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 55 runs and 10 steals across 59 games, earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors. He played for the 2022 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team following the season.

As a freshman in 2021, he appeared in 58 games, hitting .324/.445/.572 with 11 doubles, four triples, 12 HR, 53 RBI, 54 runs and 15 steals, earning Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year, First Team Perfect Game Freshman All-American and First Team D1Baseball Freshman All-American honors. Following his freshman campaign, he was named a 2021 Cape Cod League All-Star as a member of the Falmouth Commodores.

Taylor was ranked as the No. 14 player in this year’s draft by MLB.com_,_ No 15. by Baseball America and No. 24 by FanGraphs.

BRAYDEN TAYLOR, SS

Bats/Throws: L/R |  Height/Weight: 6-1/180  |  Born: May 22, 2002  |  Hometown: West Jordan, Utah

Rays First Selections, All-Time

1996      OF          Paul Wilder                       No. 29 overall                                  

1997      RHP       Jason Standridge No. 31 overall

1998      1B          Josh Pressley                    No. 132 overall

1999      OF          Josh Hamilton                  No. 1 overall

2000      OF          Rocco Baldelli                   No. 6 overall

2001      RHP       Dewon Brazelton            No. 3 overall

2002      SS           B.J. Upton                          No. 2 overall

2003      OF          Delmon Young                No. 1 overall

2004      RHP       Jeff Niemann                    No. 4 overall

2005      RHP       Wade Townsend No. 8 overall

2006      3B          Evan Longoria                  No. 3 overall

2007      LHP        David Price                        No. 1 overall

2008      SS           Tim Beckham                   No. 1 overall

2009      CF           LeVon Washington No. 30 overall

2010      OF          Josh Sale                            No. 17 overall

2011      RHP       Taylor Guerrieri               No. 24 overall

2012      3B          Richie Shaffer No. 25 overall

2013      C             Nick Ciuffo                         No. 21 overall

2014      1B          Casey Gillaspie                No. 20 overall

2015      OF          Garrett Whitley No. 13 overall

2016      3B          Joshua Lowe                     No. 13 overall

2017      LHP/1B  Brendan McKay No. 4 overall

2018      LHP        Matthew Liberatore       No. 16 overall

2019      SS           Greg Jones                         No. 22 overall

2020      RHP       Nick Bitsko                        No. 24 overall

2021      SS           Carson Williams               No. 28 overall

2022      1B          Xavier Isaac No. 29 overall

Notable Selections with the No. 19 Pick in June Draft History (since 1965)

Kevin Newman, SS, Pirates, 2015

John Mayberry, OF, Rangers, 2005

James Loney, 1B, Dodgers, 2002

Alex Rios, 3B, Blue Jays, 1999

Shannon Stewart, OF, Blue Jays, 1992

Roger Clemens, RHP, Red Sox, 1983

Franklin Stubbs, 1B, Dodgers, 1982

Mike Scioscia, C, Dodgers, 1976

Terry Whitfield, OF, Yankees, 1971

Bobby Grich, SS, Orioles, 1967