The MLB Draft is this weekend, with rounds one through four coming on Saturday and rounds five through twenty coming on Sunday. Two Cincinnati Bearcats players are looking to get drafted this weekend, right-handed pitcher Nathan Taylor and Catcher Jack Natili.
Natili had a batting average of .333 this season, hitting 14 home runs and knocking in 53 RBI's. He had 31 extra-base hits, he was walked 24 times, and had a slugging percentage of .629. MLB Pipeline ranks Natili as the No. 87 prospect in this year's draft. His batting power at the catcher position adds significant positional value, leading to him being a projected late 2nd to 3rd round pick. Teams that have shown some sort of interest in Natili are the Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners, and Houston Astros.
Taylor was 5-2 as the Bearcats' starting pitcher this season, posting a 3.94 ERA on the season. The West Clermont High School alum pitched 75.2 innings this year, striking out 104 batters and walking 21. He finished the season averaging 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings and just 2.5 walks per nine. Taylor falls just inside the Top 100 of MLB Pipelines rankings, highlighted by his power fastball, swing-and-miss breaking ball/slider, and durable starting frame at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, he is expected to be anywhere from a late second to fourth round pick.
Organizations that would look to take time on developing Taylor as a starting pitcher would be the Cleveland Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Kansas City Royals.
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