Michael A. Taylor OF CWS Fri 3/1/19 10:04 AM
Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Taylor is still in a competition with Victor Robles for the starting center field job, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Following the news Thursday that Bryce Harper was officially joining the Phillies, Nats manager Dave Martinez reiterated that Robles and Taylor were still fighting for the position, although Martinez also indicated that both would see significant playing time this season. The club would prefer it if Robles seized the job this spring, but through the early part of camp Taylor has been more impressive at the plate, going 4-for-10 with a homer and a double. The 27-year-old's .239/.293/.395 career slash line over four-plus seasons paints a picture of a bench player, however.
Michael A. Taylor OF CWS Tue 2/26/19 6:34 PM
Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Taylor went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, a stolen base and a run scored in Tuesday's loss to the Cardinals.
EDGE Analysis
After roping a double in his first at-bat, Taylor proceeded to steal third base and score on a wild pitch by Chasen Shreve. The speedster added another double in his next plate appearance before giving way to Chuck Taylor in center field. Taylor is currently earmarked for reserve duty, though his speed could make him a viable asset if injuries open up an avenue to playing time.
Michael A. Taylor OF CWS Thu 2/21/19 2:02 PM
Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Taylor will start in center field for Saturday's Cactus League opener against the Astros, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
EDGE Analysis
According to Zuckerman, Taylor dealt with hip and oblique injuries over the offseason. However, manager Davey Martinez said the speedy outfielder looked "really good" in workouts Thursday and doesn't seem to be experiencing any lingering effects from the aforementioned issues. As long as his health continues to hold up, Taylor appears to be slated for fourth outfielder duties this season behind Juan Soto, Victor Robles and Adam Eaton from left to right field.
Michael A. Taylor OF CWS Fri 2/1/19 11:49 AM
Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Taylor will sign a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Nationals after losing his arbitration case Friday, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor was seeking more in his second year of arbitration but will have to settle for the lower number. The 27-year-old took a step back at the plate in 2018 with a .227/.287/.357 slash line with 24 stolen bases in 385 plate appearances and is likely to enter spring training as the Nationals' No. 4 outfielder.
Michael A. Taylor OF CWS Wed 8/1/18 11:27 AM
Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Taylor is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Mets, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor will take a seat a day after starting in center field and reaching base in five of six plate appearances in Tuesday's 25-4 romp. He finished the day with three runs, three hits -- including his third triple of the campaign -- and a pair of walks, raising his on-base percentage to .306. Bryce Harper will settle back into his normal role in center field while Taylor returns to the bench.
Michael A. Taylor OF CWS Fri 7/6/18 3:30 PM
Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Taylor is not in the lineup against the Marlins on Friday.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor will receive a breather after going 2-for-3 with three runs scored during Thursday's victory. Manager Dave Martinez will send out an outfield of Juan Soto, Bryce Harper and Adam Eaton.
Michael A. Taylor OF CWS Fri 7/6/18 11:18 AM
Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Taylor went 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored in Thursday's comeback win over the Marlins.
EDGE Analysis
He continues to produce when he's in the lineup, and Taylor now sports a .367/.392/.408 slash line over his last 49 at-bats across 19 games (11 starts) with six steals, five RBI and eight runs. He's still plenty useful in deeper fantasy leagues in this role, but as long as the rest of the Nats' outfielders (Bryce Harper, Adam Eaton and Juan Soto) are healthy, though, Taylor won't see enough playing time to have stable value in the shallowest of formats.
Michael A. Taylor OF CWS Mon 7/2/18 3:29 PM
Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Taylor is not in the lineup against Boston on Monday.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor will remain on the bench for a fourth straight game as Juan Soto, Bryce Harper and Adam Eaton make up the outfield for the Nationals. Over 24 games in June, Taylor hit .349 with an .864 OPS and 10 stolen bases.
Michael A. Taylor OF CWS Sun 7/1/18 11:51 AM
Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Taylor is out of the lineup Sunday against the Phillies.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor will miss his third consecutive game, as it appears he could be slipping into the role of fourth outfielder. Sunday will mark the third consecutive contest that manager Dave Martinez has employed an outfield composed of Juan Soto (left), Bryce Harper (center) and Adam Eaton (right). No specific reason has been provided for Taylor's absence, though a 1-for-13 skid hasn't helped his cause.
Michael A. Taylor OF CWS Fri 6/29/18 3:40 PM
Michael A. Taylor
OF CWS
Taylor is out of the lineup against the Phillies on Friday.
EDGE Analysis
Taylor will take a seat on the bench as manager Davey Martinez trots out an outfield of Juan Soto, Bryce Harper and Adam Eaton for the second of a four-game set. Over his past 12 games, Taylor is slashing .382/.400/.441 with five RBI and six stolen bases.