Flush with returning pitchers but short on position players, the Owlz were supplied with one of the best – second- year player Taylor Lindsey.
Lindsey, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound second baseman, brings with him a bat that has done major damage already. Coming out of Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, AZ, Lindsey batted .592 his senior year with 18 home runs and 73 RBI’s.
When asked about his strengths, he said, “No question it’s my offense. That part of the game has always come easiest for me. My defense still needs some work”.
If his offense continues to be as strong as it has been, he may not be on the Owlz for long. Owlz manager Tom Kotchman, however, was quick to throw a dose of reality on Lindsey’s gaudy numbers.
“Position players take longer to develop,” Kotchman said. “If a pitcher has stuff, he has stuff, but you can’t expect a kid coming out of high school to be able to hit right out of the box. That’s why you won’t see any rookies on our team right away. It takes some time in the lower leagues before they get here.”
He was drafted No. 37 overall in last year’s draft by the Angels and spent his first season with the Tempe Angels before joining the Owlz in the second step of his journey to the big leagues.
For Lindsey, the one thing that will make this season even better than being one step closer to the majors is winning, a desire that may stem from Lindsey’s senior year in Arizona, when Desert Mountain came up just short in final inning of the state title game.
When asked about his goals for the upcoming season Lindsey responded instantly.
“Win a championship,” he said.
After spending his whole life growing up in Arizona and having played his first season of minor league ball in Timpe, Lindsey is looking forward to playing in Utah. One reason for that is what he considers his most embarrassing moment as a player.
“My first game playing on the varsity team in high school I hit a home run and I was so excited that I ran down to first base pretty fast, but I tripped and face-planted right in the dirt,” Lindsey admitted. “My teammates still don’t let me live that one down!”
Prior to entering the draft he had signed a letter of intent to play for the Sun Devils of Arizona State. His decision to go pro was not a difficult one for him to make.
“I really hated going to school and knew that I wanted to play baseball for a living, so it only took five days for me to sign with the Angles,” Lindsey said.
Some players can point to a certain moment when they knew for the first time that they could play on a professional level. For Lindsey it was more of a gradual onset.
“After my junior year I talked to some scouts and as I played my senior year it started to seem more possible,” he said. “When I was drafted it was the happiest day of my life and I knew right away I was going to sign.”
