Leody Taveras Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects
Andrew Patterson TRACK RECORD: After zooming to short-season Spokane in his pro debut, Taveras began moving more methodically through the minors and spent a year and a half at high Class A before finishing 2019 at Double-A Frisco. Taveras’ offense had stagnated, so it was somewhat surprising to see him crack the Rangers’ Opening Day roster in 2020. He performed admirably for a 21-year-old with modest upper-level experience and spent the year as the Rangers’ primary center fielder.
SCOUTING REPORT: Rangers officials credit Taveras for showing more exit velocity and lift in his swing in 2020, as well as the first double-digit walk rate of his career. He’s normally a disciplined hitter and struck out more than expected in the majors, but that was associated with him being more aggressive on pitches he believed he could drive. The goal is to find a happy medium and help him be an average hitter with double-digit home run power. Taveras is a plus-plus runner and finished in the 94th percentile for MLB Statcast’s sprint speed. Taveras uses that speed to be a plus defender in center field and boasts a plus arm.
THE FUTURE: If Taveras’ bat continues to trend upward, he could be an impact player on both sides of the ball.
