Awaiting the call: Utah players enter baseball's draft

At this time last year, BYU infielder Brandon Taylor turned down several offers to play professional baseball and he had nightmares for a month after doing so.

"I had a chance, but I wasn't ready," Taylor said. "I felt I had some improvements to make in all aspects of my game. After this year and learning this summer, I am ready to go play."

Taylor, who graduated from Timpanogos High School in 2001, put up decent numbers in his sophomore season at BYU by hitting .309 with 15 doubles, three triples, 15 homers and 54 RBIs.

This spring, in earning Mountain West Conference player of the year honors, he put up spectacular numbers. He hit .356 with 17 doubles, four triples, 20 homers (a career high) and he drove in 83 runs.

"I'm ready to go play this year," he said. "There are a lot of ball clubs calling and wanting to know what's going on. I'm going to let them compete with themselves and the first one that picks me up I'm going to go play."

Taylor, 22, will be watching patiently as the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft begins today.

"My first goal was to play college ball (he did at UVSC), and my second goal was to play at BYU," said Taylor, who served and LDS Church mission to Argentina. "Obviously, my ultimate goal and dream is to play pro ball. It's going to come true this year, and we'll see where it takes me."

BYU assistant baseball coach Ryan Roberts agreed that Taylor, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, made the right move by waiting one more year.

"Personally, I don't think he was ready to go out and play," Roberts said. "I think he would have been wide-eyed."

"I think it was a really good decision because he's more mature and has a good chance to play and be really successful. Because of that, when he starts struggling in pro ball, he'll be able to draw on his experience this last year."

Skills-wise, Roberts believes Taylor should go in the top 5 rounds, but because of his age, he'll most likely fall lower. Taylor only wants a chance.

"I've improved a lot in a lot of ways, and now I'll be able to move up quick and hopefully make it to the Big Leagues," he said.

Taylor will be one of a handful of Utahns watching today's draft with interest.