Prospect of the Day: Taylor Green, 3B, Milwaukee Brewers
With an excellent season in Triple-A under his belt, Taylor Green works to impress the Milwaukee Brewers this September.
Born in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Green was drafted by the Brewers in the 25th round in 2005, from Cypress Junior College in California. He signed as a draft-and-follow player in the spring of 2006, but didn't have a very good year after signing, hitting just .231/.328/.308 in the Pioneer League. He improved dramatically in 2007, hitting .327/.406/.516 in the Low-A South Atlantic League, then had a solid .289/.382/.443 consolidation season in the High-A Florida State League in 2008.
Green hurt his wrist late that year and missed much of 2009 rehabbing the injury. He was ineffective when he played, hitting just .258/.330/.356 in Double-A. Returning to that level in '10, he hit .260/.336/.438, which was OK but not great for a player repeating the league. However, 2011 was another matter. With additional distance from the wrist injury, he turned on pitches more effectively this year and hit .336/.412/.580 with career-best marks in doubles (37) and homers (22) for Triple-A Nashville.
Listed at 5-11, 200, Green is 24 years old and hits from the left side. He has a contact-oriented swing. Scouts didn't expect him to hit for a ton of power even before the wrist injury, so his extra-base burst this year is quite interesting. He showed more bat speed this year, and his plate discipline has always been solid. He has a strong platoon split (1.078 OPS against right-handed pitching, but just .741 against lefties this year), and in the majors he will probably fit best as a platoon bat.
Green was drafted as a second baseman but has spent most of his career at third base. He is adequate with the glove at the hot corner, showing an OK arm and average range. He is quite reliable at second base in terms of avoiding errors, although some scouts don't think he has fast enough hands to play there regularly. He lacks the range to play shortstop.
Although Green doesn't have a guaranteed roster spot for 2012, he gives the Brewers another option in the infield should Prince Fielder depart for $greener$ pastures. Green can't replace Fielder's bat, but he should be able to provide at least decent offense with some defensive versatility.
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