TCU infielder Brayden Taylor and Oklahoma State starting pitcher Juaron Watts-Brown highlighted the 2023 Big 12 Preseason Baseball Awards. Taylor was named Preseason Player of the Year, while Watts-Brown was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year and Preseason Newcomer of the year. The honorees were selected in a vote of the league’s head coaches, who could not vote for their own players.

Taylor hit .314 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI in 2022, earning All-Big 12 Second Team honors. He reached base safely in 52 of his 59 games, and recorded a hit in 42 different games.

Watts-Brown was a Freshman All-American at Long Beach State a season ago, posting a 3.68 ERA and starting 12 games. He struck out 111 batters in 73.1 innings and tossed a no-hitter against UC Riverside on May 8.

TCU’s Anthony Silva was voted Preseason Freshman of the Year. The San Antonio native was rated by Baseball America as the top high school defensive infielder and showed prowess at the plate with a career .407 batting average at Clark High School.

Taylor and Watts-Brown were two of the four unanimous selections to the Preseason All-Big 12 team, joined by Kansas State’s Nick Goodwin (infielder) and Oklahoma State’s Nolan McLean (utility). Goodwin hit 11 long balls last season, and McLean had 19 home runs at the dish plus five saves on the mound. TCU led with four selections on the 17-member team.

The Big 12 Preseason Poll will be revealed on Thursday, January 26. All nine Big 12 teams open the season Friday, February 17.

Preseason All-Big 12 Team
C- Hudson White, Texas Tech
IF- Nick Goodwin, Kansas State*
IF- Jackson Nicklaus, Oklahoma
IF- Marcus Brown, Oklahoma State
IF- Roc Riggio, Oklahoma State
IF- Brayden Taylor, TCU*
OF- John Spikerman, Oklahoma
OF- Austin Davis, TCU
OF- Elijah Nunez, TCU
DH- Ty Coleman, Texas Tech
UT- Nolan McLean, Oklahoma State*
SP- Juaron Watts-Brown, Oklahoma State*
SP- Lucas Gordon, Texas
SP- Tanner Witt, Texas
SP- Mason Molina, Texas Tech
RP- Luke Savage, TCU
RP- Garrett Wright, TCU
*- Unanimous selection

Preseason Player of the Year
Brayden Taylor, TCU

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Juaron Watts-Brown, Oklahoma State

Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Juaron Watts-Brown, Oklahoma State

Preseason Freshman of the Year
Anthony Silva, TCU