VIERA, Fla. — Michael Taylor stood in the middle of the mania last September in Atlanta. The Washington Nationals had clinched the division title on the field of their nemesis and were about to soak the visitor’s locker room, providing a drenching powerful fans were not a match for the next day.
The 24-year-old Taylor had just 17 at-bats after being called up Aug. 10. Taylor spent most of the season in Double-A Harrisburg before a brief stop in Triple-A Syracuse. Taylor had just 44 at-bats with the Chiefs. It was a rapid trip from the southeast of Pennsylvania to the center of a celebration.
Now in mid-March, Taylor has another opportunity. Injuries to center fielder Denard Span and Jayson Werth have put Taylor into center field with a strong chance to be an Opening Day starter. He spent the last two days as the Nationals’ leadoff hitter. He has every chance to have a strong role early on.
“It’s always good to get a player’s feet wet in a little less impactful situation that he was brought into last year in his first taste of the big leagues,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. “We brought him up and there wasn’t a lot of pressure on him to play every day or perform every day. He was a guy that we could ease into the situation.
“I think he’ll learn from that, build from that, the places that he’s been, it will be a more comfortable environment for him. Players talk about that second-deck syndrome, where in a big-league stadium you have the second deck. It didn’t affect him last year and he’ll feel that much more comfortable this year.”
Being in the majors at the end of last season allowed Taylor to start his offseason work with a well-preserved body. He began working out three days after arriving home in Fort Lauderdale. Two weeks later, he began to hit at a facility in Sunrise, Florida. That work continued through what passes for winter in Florida’s Broward County.
“I like to hit all the way through,” Taylor said.
One thing Taylor did not do was golf. When he was younger, Taylor would often head out to the golf course. But the torque from swinging puts his baseball body at risk, so he gave it up. Instead, he fishes. His time is filled with trying to hook bass. He is not good at it.
“Uh, no,” Taylor said. “No. I’m a patient fisherman.”
During the winter, before the injuries, Taylor tried to stay away from what his role may be in 2015. His time in Triple A was so limited that there would be a chance he ends up back there. Or, he could have a bench role in the majors. He wanted to stay away from the what-ifs.
“I really wasn’t trying to think too much about that because you can kind of get caught up in where guys are at, who’s going where,” Taylor said. “I just wanted to come in in the best shape I could and as ready as possible and play the game.”
When with the team last season, Taylor realized he could play at the level he had watched all his life. He didn’t feel pressured by the “second-deck syndrome” that Rizzo referenced. The space in center field was larger, and the ball was driven well more often, but he felt those were minor differences from the minor leagues.
“Other than that, I don’t think it’s too different,” Taylor said.
He was drafted in 2009 as a shortstop out of Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale. The Nationals moved him to the outfield by 2011. He has played in center field for 416 of his 495 career games in the minor leagues.
Taylor said he is more comfortable in center field than the corners. He also laughs about being a shortstop at one point. “Those days are behind me,” he said.
The Nationals have used Taylor as a leadoff hitter before and that was his role the past two days. Without Span, who is expected to miss Opening Day because of surgery to repair and slight tear in his abdominal wall, the Nationals are searching for a leadoff hitter and center fielder. Those may not be the same person.
Manager Matt Williams said Monday that third baseman Anthony Rendon is a consideration to hit first. He even mentioned Werth as a possibility. The trouble with those options is both are hurt. Rendon is expected to be ready for Opening Day, though he continues to sit out because of a sprained MCL in his left knee.
“Anthony’s a really good on-base guy,” Williams said. “Good knowledge of the strike zone. Good hitter, as well. So, he’s an option. Michael has been hitting leadoff a lot because we want to get him at-bats because he’s going to get the majority of playing time in spring in center. He hit there a little bit last year. That being said, we want to get him accustomed to that spot in case we need to do that.”
Taylor has hit .294 this spring. He also has seven strikeouts in 17 at-bats.
“He’s a young player,” Williams said. “He’s also got the ability to have an at-bat like he did against [New York Mets pitcher Jacob] deGrom where he took a slider and lined it to right-center field. Those types of at-bats can happen too. [We’re] making sure he gets a sense of all the frontline starts we see during spring training. A lot of them are within our division, so we want to get him multiple at-bats against those guys and make sure, if he’s on our club and playing, it’s nothing new for him.”
The Nationals are built for and hope another fall alcohol dousing arrives. Taylor has a chance to help them start in the right direction. It will at least give him a chance to put off what would likely be an unproductive fishing career.
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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