{"id":50904,"date":"2025-04-25T15:17:48","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T15:17:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=50904"},"modified":"2025-04-25T15:17:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T15:17:48","slug":"red-sox-prospect-continues-inspiring-story-after-tackling-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=50904","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox Prospect Continues Inspiring Story After &#8216;Tackling&#8217; Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<div>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Boston-Red-Sox-logo.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Boston-Red-Sox-logo.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Boston-Red-Sox-logo.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Boston-Red-Sox-logo.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Red Sox Prospect Continues Inspiring Story After 'Tackling' Cancer\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Boston Red Sox <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> prospect <\/span>Nelly Taylor Jr. <span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0still laughs about the time his cousin \u201c<\/span>gave me cancer. <span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When he was 5 years old, growing up in Clearwater, FL, Taylor and his cousin were playing football, just like they did every other day. Only this time, it didn\u2019t end the usual way.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI got tackled,\u201d Taylor said, \u201cand I felt the pain in my stomach.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And just like that, a normal kid who \u201cfelt perfectly fine, perfectly healthy,\u201d was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor, a rare form of kidney cancer.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI used to actually tell people [his cousin] was the one who gave me cancer,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cI used to tell people that because I was too young. I didn\u2019t understand how it worked. I was like, \u2018Yeah, my cousin gave me cancer.\u2019\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Nelly Taylor Has Been Cancer-Free Since Age 6 After Removal of Kidney<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Taylor faced months and months of chemotherapy and treatment, and he also had to have a kidney removed, but Taylor has been cancer-free since the age of 6. And he is forever grateful to his cousin for tackling him that day.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt was just a blessing that it happened at the time it did because any later it could have been too late,\u201d Taylor said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI got older and realized, \u2018Wow, he saved my life by tackling me.\u2019 And so that\u2019s a funny thing we always have a good laugh about.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There would be no contact sports for Taylor after he got sick. But he could play baseball \u2013 and play it quite well.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Nelly Taylor Was Selected by Boston in Round 11 of 2023 Draft<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">A left-handed hitting outfielder, Taylor piqued the interest of a few Division I college programs, including the University of Central Florida. However, he opted to take the junior college route, <\/span>playing at Polk State College <span data-contrast=\"auto\">, where he slashed .353\/.467\/.620 as a sophomore, with 19 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 48 RBIs, 46 runs scored, 31 stolen bases, 36 walks, and 42 strikeouts in 51 games (229 plate appearances).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Taylor was perhaps even more impressive defensively, as he <\/span>did not commit a single error <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> in 127 total chances in the outfield. He was named a first-team All-Suncoast Conference selection, Suncoast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, a second-team All-FCSAA selection, and an FCSAA and Rawlings Gold Glove recipient.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Boston would select Taylor in the 11<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> round of the 2023 draft, with a <\/span>scouting report from MLB Pipeline <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> highlighting a potential diamond in the rough:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cTaylor\u2019s raw tools started to show up more in his second year of junior college as he showed off some of his power-speed combination. He has a quick bat and a loose swing, with long levers that can generate plus raw power. He\u2019s also a plus runner, with the speed and range to play center field, but how much he\u2019ll hit is in question, as his swing can get long at times.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Nelly Taylor Opens Eyes With Offensive Prowess Added to Top Defensive Skills<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Entering his second minor league season, Taylor had already started to open some eyes. Over the winter, Baseball America named him one of its <\/span>breakout MLB prospect candidates <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> for the 2025 season, and about a month ago, Brian Abraham, Boston\u2019s senior director of player development, appeared on <\/span>Baseball America\u2019s Hot Sheet podcast <span data-contrast=\"auto\">, touting Taylor, who was named Boston\u2019s 2024 Minor League Defensive Player of the Year, as a player to watch.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWe felt like getting him into our programming and improving his athleticism, improving his bat speed, improving some of his bat-to-ball qualities, we\u2019d really see him take off,\u201d Abraham said. \u201cObviously there\u2019s still games to be played and a whole year ahead of us, but just from the information that we\u2019re gathering, some of the information that we can look at within the batting cages or within the field currently, we\u2019ve seen some significant strides.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Those <\/span>strides have continued <span data-contrast=\"auto\">. In 11 games and 39 at bats for High-A Greenville, the 22-year-old has posted a slash line of .282\/.378\/.462, with a homer, four doubles, five RBIs and three stolen bases.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cLike many hitters he has to continue to improve,\u201d Abraham said. \u201cBut I think the swing decisions and his ability to swing the bat fast and impact the baseball have been really exemplary.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Taylor has also shown a willingness to put in the work away from the field. The Red Sox told <\/span>their No. 22 prospect <span data-contrast=\"auto\"> that they would like him to add weight over the winter, and Abraham said Taylor responded by gaining \u201cprobably 20 or so pounds.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cHe\u2019s been an incredibly diligent worker,\u201d\u00a0Abraham said.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cProbably one of our best in terms of pure strength, in terms of power, explosiveness,\u201d Abraham said. \u201cHe definitely is towards the top of the organization in a lot of the key metrics that we quantify. And I think that translates pretty well to hitting the baseball hard.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Dave Benson Dave Benson is a longtime writer with over three decades of experience in a variety of mediums, including 15 years covering high school, collegiate and minor league sports in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Dave is also a licensed English teacher and spent a few years teaching at the middle school level. More about Dave Benson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An 11th-round selection in the 2023 draft, Boston Red Sox outfielder Nelly Taylor continues opening eyes with offensive growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":50905,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Red Sox Prospect Continues Inspiring Story After &#039;Tackling&#039; Cancer - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=50904\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Red Sox Prospect Continues Inspiring Story After &#039;Tackling&#039; 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