The 2010 Arizona Fall League is officially under way and Oakland A's prospect OF Michael Taylor had a strong performance in his first game with the Phoenix Desert Dogs. Taylor was 2-for-4 with a home run in Phoenix's 8-3 loss to the Mesa Solar Sox.
The A's acquired Taylor in a deal for top prospect Brett Wallace and the team was hoping he would emerge as a power prospect alongside Chris Carter. While Carter made his way onto the major league roster late in the year, Taylor spent the entire season with AAA Sacramento. After showing consistent power in 2008 and 2009, Taylor struggled with Sacramento, finishing the season with a line of .272/.348/.392, with 6 home runs, 26 doubles, and 78 RBIs. The Athletics will look for him to gain back some confidence with Phoenix before coming into spring training.
Two other Oakland A's made appearances for the Desert Dogs in their opener. SS Grant Green (appeared in this year's Future's Game) and 3B Stephen Parker combined to go 0-for-6.
Phoenix travels to Mesa later today (as it's now 1am on Wednesday).