Dodgers 2020 MLB Draft grades: What you need to know about each pick

Who the Dodgers picked: C Carson Taylor, Virginia Tech

Round 4 (130th overall)

Grade: B

The Dodgers dipped back into the college ranks to select catcher Carson Taylor with the 130th overall pick. A switch-hitter, he put up jump-off-the-page numbers during his abbreviated sophomore season, batting .431/.541/.690 with two home runs in 16 games played for Virginia Tech in 2020.

Taylor’s recommended slot value is $434,300. He became the 12th highest drafted player in Virginia Tech history after an impressive career for the Hokies. During his two seasons in the ACC, he achieved five school records behind the plate, recording the most chances and putouts in a single game, the most assists in a single game, and his single-season fielding percentage, albeit over a shortened season this year, was a perfect 1.000.

MLB.com graded him as a 50 hitter on a 20-80 scouting scale. They note he has considerable bat speed on both sides of the plate, with a few weaknesses:

"While there’s a lot of raw power to tap into, Taylor gets pull-happy and out front on his swing too often to get to it consistently. He can make hard contact, but pitches on the outer third of the plate gave him trouble."

Taylor projects as a modern catcher who can field his position and hit. Finding a catcher in the fourth round offers great value to the Dodgers, especially coming off a strong showing this past spring. The only concerns would be if his catching game doesn’t translate to the major, it will limit where Los Angeles can play him in the field. He played both 1B and DH in college.