Get To Know Will Taylor: The Pirates Prospect Who Scored a TD and Hit a HR in the Same Year

Get To Know Will Taylor: The Pirates Prospect Who Scored a TD and Hit a HR in the Same Year

He’s one of the most athletic prospects in the Pirates system. A former two sports star at Clemson, now turning heads in pro ball. From catching touchdowns to stealing bases, we sat down with Will Taylor to talk football, baseball, and life in the Arizona Fall League. You’re listening to the Northshore 9 podcast presented by FanDuel. [Music] All right. So, uh, we’re joined today by Pirates outfield prospect, uh, 2024 fifth round pick, Will Taylor. Will, thanks for, uh, thanks for hopping on today. Yeah, thank you guys for having me. So, absolutely. So, Will, before we kind of get into the baseball talk, I got a I got a question for you. Um, how familiar are you with like the baseball card industry? Honestly, I wasn’t a whole lot of I didn’t have a whole lot of knowledge about it until this past year. I didn’t realize how big baseball cards were in the industry. Um, but now just being around baseball for a full year. Um, it’s pretty cool and uh, you know, my I I just had a card come out this past uh, month and uh, it’s been pretty cool. So, I’m I’m gonna start uh buying some packs and and seeing if I can find a couple. That’d be pretty cool. So, I wanted to bring that up because because yeah, you were in your your your first Bowman in 2025 Bowman Chrome. It just came out, I think, last week. Um I’m I’m a big card collector. So, I was in uh I was in a card break and I had the Pirates. And this was this was last night. So, I just wanted to share this. So, this was last night card break. You know what Cameron read? Yeah, it was a really cool card. Nissan Kim there at 4 $4.99. Will Taylor Green out of 99 go to the Pirates for North Side Notch. So, first autograph in the break was a Will Taylor autograph. I was like, “Hell yeah, that’s pretty cool. That’s sick.” Yeah. Hopefully. Uh, you know, I’ve never been really big into cards growing up. Um, I know my dad, um, we’ve actually pulled some out of the attic and haven’t even opened them yet. Um, I know he has a bunch of Barry Bar Bonds and Mickey Manel cards, um, that are probably worth a lot of money. Um, but he bought a, you know, a lot of those big card boxes, uh, years ago, uh, 20, 30, 40 years ago. So, um, I don’t know, who knows? It’s, uh, it’s kind of cool to me now that I have my own card and, um, you know, maybe I’ll start collecting some. So that’s pretty cool though. That’s a great video. Yeah, I was and I was like amazing timing. I was like we’re talking to Will tomorrow and yeah that I was doing really really bad in breaks up until that one last night. So that was that was cool. That’s sweet. So um so I think a lot of people may not know this but I I one thing that you know just kind of prepping for this um you so you went to Clemson. So you gradu went to Clemson got your your degree from there. Uh, you were drafted after your junior year. You played football at Clemson, also played baseball at Clemson, and you’re actually in the same recruiting class as Bubba Chandler. So, like, how wild is it that like you’ve kind of gone full circle now, and you’re both in for playing for the Pirates right now? Like, how how wild is that? It’s pretty crazy. Um, we were actually roommates together for two weeks. Um, we moved in together right before the draft. um knowing that both of us possibly could get drafted and uh so we were just doing football workouts and um the draft eventually came around and and Bubba went um the pro baseball route and I stayed in college and so uh we would catch up every now and then, but um it’s super cool. Uh Coach Sweeney actually texted me after I got drafted and it said it was meant to be for you and Bubba to be together. So, it’s kind of cool. Um, now the opportunity, um, you know, hopefully getting to play together in Pittsburgh and, um, win a lot of baseball games. That’s awesome. So, and and going back to like the two sport athlete you are. So, in 2022, you became the first Clemson student to score a touchdown and hit a home run in the same year. So, what was it like being a two sport athlete in such a high level like that? Yeah, it was pretty cool. Um, you know, it was just kind of like high school to me. Um, split half the year half and half. Um, the summer right off the July 4th weekend, I’ll be all football until January 1st and then January 1st until July 4th, I’d be all baseball. So, um, really lucky and fortunate to be able to pull that off. Um, and just, you know, just just just I wanted to maximize my time in college and I think I did that. So, um, won a lot of games, uh, ACC championship in both sports in the same year. Um, and so it was a lot of fun. Uh, definitely wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. And I can have a follow-up, too. Yeah. Because I’ve asked a couple of these, get you guys as well this question because I feel like sports has gone very specialized right now. So, like, would you attribute maybe being the the dual athlete that you were to help you out in in football and of course baseball as well? Absolutely. Um me just I think it just made me a complete athlete. Um you know just helped me you know put me in in situations in front of big crowds playing a football held me in big situations during baseball games. So, um, just really learned to kind of have a slow heartbeat, um, and really put my situations in, put myself in some uncomfortable situations, whether it be, you know, my freshman year starting punt returner against Georgia, um, in in Charlotte, neutral game, or whatever the case may be. Um, a big at bat in pro ball. So, um, definitely it’s it’s made me a more complete baseball player and, um, you know, just super thankful for that to be able to to do both in college. There you go, kids. Yeah, that kind of goes along with like the the next question I had was like, what what do you think about like I mean, you know, Bubba Bubba signed with the Pirates after getting drafted. You got drafted, chose to go to Clemson. Um, what what about going to college kind of helped change your game? Like how what kind of a player were you when you went into college as opposed to leaving college? How did you kind of grow as a player while you were there? Well, just more experience. Uh, just more at bats under more at bats under my belt and um just a more mature player. Um, feel like I’m the same player. Explosive uh hit for power electric player. My dad always tells me to play like my hair’s on fire and you know I try to do that every time I take the field. Um but just just more mature and and growing up because obviously the pitching gets better in pro ball and um it’s different than high school. So just learning um you know learning learning the game and and how people get better and um you know pushing yourself. Um you can’t get away with things you did in high school. who just um you know, like I said, growing up, maturing through college and and now maturing into um a minor league baseball player. So, um yeah. Cool, cool, cool, cool. So, you played right away in Braden. Uh you know, tell us what was the biggest adjustment going from college ball to the Miners and then progressing up from the South Atlantic League this past season? Yeah, I would say um just working on my Spanish has been the biggest the biggest difference since college. Um you know, it was very eye opening to me. Um playing with guys from all over the world, which is which is really cool. Um I feel um you know I’d never really done that before. So just really um you know showed up at the complex last year after getting drafted and um you know had to feel like I need to pick up some Spanish. So my Spanish is coming along. Uh just really want to connect with my teammates no matter where they’re from. So I think that’s really important and that’s what’s going to you know help help us as a team, help us as a program to to get back on top of the baseball world. um especially in the big leagues. So um the closer you can come become to your teammates and and be there for them, connect with them, um the better. And and in the power tour, they do a great job of really pushing that um really p pushing us to become closer and and put us in uncomfortable situations with teammates that aren’t from the US. So um you really got to learn more about them, learn more about their backgrounds and um you know, I think that’s really cool. So that was kind of the biggest eye openening uh moment for me since being in bro. I need to do one of these with as Merlin Valdez in the next two days. So any any tips on learning Spanish in 48 hours that will you’re coming on right 48 hours. But uh you can be our translator. How about that? Yeah. Yeah. We’ll see. Um you you um you you know you mentioned your explosiveness um kind of going back to that out out of college when you were drafted like reading scouting reports they mentioned like your your contact ability, your plate discipline. Um but like this year you you showed some major pop. Um you know you I think you had 14 homers and run around 90 games or so. Was is is that are you deliberate? Was that just kind of it happened? Um I guess talk to talk to me about that a little bit. Yeah, I mean it wasn’t surprising for me. Um I mean you play a full season and uh you know you’re going to have your ups and downs, but uh I felt like I was pretty consistent the whole year. Uh obviously you know that’s that’s the name of the game being consistent. Um, I feel like I I left a lot in the tank, which is exciting. And, um, you know, really really matured and and really pushed myself towards the end of the year offensively. Um, and so I still got a long way to go, but uh, you know, looking back, I I I I did leave a lot in the tank. And so, uh, really going to push myself this offseason and, um, you know, push myself in the Arizona Fall League here. um coming up in a week and so really excited to um just get some more at bats under my belt and get better um because um I still got a long way to go and um you know I’m excited and hopefully work my way through the minors and and help a team in Pittsburgh as as soon as I can win a lot of games. And you know Jim brings up the power so I mean you really didn’t steal a whole lot in college either. I think what Lebanon 2023 was your max. Um, this year I feel like that was a little more of your game. You had 23 bags and 36 attempts. So, are you trying to work on that? Making that more of your game as well or something else? Yeah, that that’s always been my game. We we just didn’t steal as a team in college. Um, so I’ve kind of had to, you know, it’s always been there. I’ve always been fast and so really just um taking that speed and and learning how to steal bases and um it’s kind of taken me a while but towards the middle end of the season felt like I was really confident in in being able to steal four uh second or third base. Um and so yeah, anytime you can steal an extra 90 um that’s huge. Um right. So, so yeah, just just learn. I mean, obviously, you know, all catchers are are, you know, a 18 nowadays. So, um it’s different. Um I mean, you really have to learn um you just got to learn how to do it. Um it’s more just knowing yourself. Like if the guy’s if the guy’s quick to the plate, then um you know, you got to have a really good jump or you gota get a shuffle jump or something. Um, just just really being smart, I would say, is is the key. Knowing yourself more than anything. So, it’s going to be a little more rapid fire here, these questions. Um, so we want to know, obviously, you’re going there. It’s going to be, you know, multiple teams on one team as well. There’s quite a few of you Pirates guys, but however, non-Piryus players, who are you looking most forward to, uh, seeing there in Arizona? Yeah, obviously have a lot of uh great teammates. Met them for the first time today. Um have a lot of players that that I train with back home or a few. Um Billy Aick from the Twins. Uh he he he’s a guy that I train with back home. So really looking forward to um you know just seeing where I stuck up with these guys and that’s why I’m here, just to push myself and uh you know, not only represent the Pirates, but represent myself and in my hometown. So, um really excited just to uh to meet the new guys, a lot of new faces. Um still learn all the names around. Um but, um but yeah, excited to play for the River Raptors. There you go. Um looking at your Instagram, you seem to be a pretty avid sportsman. What do you like? Hunting or fishing more? Depends on the season. Uh right now I’m, you know, right before I left I was all in on fishing. Uh the striper were schooling. Uh so it’s a really exciting time to go fishing. Obviously when I get back and it’s a little cooler, I’ll go I’ll go deer hunting a lot and duck hunting. So um that that’s kind of like what I like to do um outside of baseball. Um kind of my hobbies is kind of live in the woods and and so when I’m not a baseball player, I’m a full-time hunter and fisherman. So, uh, I love it. That’s what I love to do. Love it. I always the the the duck hunting is probably my favorite because like you get the dogs like I I it’s they just I just watch the dogs the whole time. They’re pretty incredible. You don’t have to be so quiet. The hunt’s very short. Um, yeah, it’s it’s different. Um, but yeah, it’s probably one of my favorites, too. Yeah. And real quick, do you golf also? Because I feel like everyone we talk to likes to hunt, fish, and golf. Like that’s it. play baseball, hunt, fish, and golf. I do. Especially in the offseason, I play golf in season. In season, not so much. The pitchers love to golf in season. Um, but that’s more of an out of season thing for me. Right. Okay. Um, so I want to know best dressed teammate. Best dressed? Uh, I’m gonna go with Conor Griffin. He can he can prep it up and he also can wear the jeans and boots. Um so he’s got some style low key. Um it’s kind of a sneaky pick. That is a sneaky pick. Have to look out for it. Yeah. Yeah. Mississippi boy. Yeah. Mississippi boy. He can rock the blues and the jeans and boots. So Okay. Um what’s more difficult? Running down a deep ball from Cade Clubnick or catching a ball in the gap by the wall. I’m going to go running down a deep ball football. Yeah. Okay. I feel like baseball is just kind of just second nature. Um you’re worried about really nothing. I mean, you got the warning track and the wall, and the warning track’s there to help you, but you never know what’s coming when you got your eyes up in the air, and 11 defend 11 defenders on the other side of the ball. So, I would say I’d say football. Uh I was a punt returner, so that’s definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Yeah, that one’s that one would be tough. I don’t think I could do that. Fun fact, too. Um, you caught Cade Clubnick’s first ever touchdown pass. It’s pretty neat. I did. Yes. Yeah. Pretty neat piece of trivia. That’s right. So, uh, before we let you go, I said you’re in Arizona now. Just finished up your first day of practice. What’s, what’s your main goal while you’re out there before heading into the offseason? Just to to obviously get better. Um, be consistent at the plate. Um, that’s one thing that I kind of lacked late in the year. Um but just just continue to push myself, see see some of the best arms around um around the fall league, around these organizations, and um you know, continue to to run the heck out of the bases. Um and so that’s that’s what I love doing. And like I said earlier, play play like my hair is on fire. And if I do that, then I’ll uh I’ll be just fine. But I’m excited to to be a part of this and thankful for the opportunity. and um excited to get going here. Love it.

Pirates outfield prospect Will Taylor joins North Shore Nine for a brand new Get to Know episode! A 2024 fifth-round pick out of Clemson, Taylor dives into his incredible journey from two-sport ACC standout to his first full season of pro ball.

Will opens up about what it was like playing both football and baseball at Clemson, being roommates with Bubba Chandler during the draft, and now reuniting with him in the Pirates organization. He also shares how his time in college made him a more complete athlete, what it’s been like learning Spanish to connect with international teammates, and his goals heading into the Arizona Fall League.

Plus — Will talks baseball cards, hunting and fishing, and which Pirates prospect he calls the team’s best-dressed.

If you love prospects, baseball stories, and a look behind the curtain of the next wave of Pirates talent, this one’s for you.

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📱 Follow Will on Instagram/Twitter: @WillTaylor_10

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