Washington Nationals: Brian Goodwin back up in the big leagues

Yesterday, the Washington Nationals called up outfielder Brian Goodwin. Will he get some center field time if Michael Taylor struggles?

With Adam Eaton out for the season, the Washington Nationals have to figure out internally who can play center field before they explore external options. Yesterday, the organization made the decision to call up Brian Goodwin and sent Rafael Bautista down to triple-A Syracuse. Here is what Baker had to say on the move in the pregame meeting with the media:

Dusty said the decision to switch out Goodwin for Bautista was "an organizational decision."

"[Bautista] needs to play."
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) May 8, 2017

This appears to be the right decision for the Washington Nationals. Bautista only got into five games with the Nats and was 1-for-8 at the plate with a walk. He needs to play everyday in triple-A and a pairing of Bautista and Andrew Stevenson in Syracuse should be fun to watch.

Meanwhile, for Goodwin, this is a second chance for him to make a good impression on the Nats. He didn’t have the greatest spring training in West Palm Beach when he was 7-for-44 (.114 average) with a pair of RBI’s and 13 strikeouts. That slump continued into the first seven games in triple-A when he had 12 hits in 42 at-bats.

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Since April 20, Goodwin has been a different player. In 14 games going back to that date, the 26-year-old has had at least one hit in 11 of those games and had five multi-hit games over that span. Plus, he had two home runs in his last five games.

Goodwin isn’t known for his power and he does strike out at a high rate (29 strikeouts this season – second on the Chiefs). With that being said, he’s one of only two Chiefs players with ten or more walks (Matt Skole has 15) and one of only four Chiefs with a stolen base (two).

When he was up last season, Goodwin fared well in a small sample size. In 22 games, he hit .286 with four doubles, a triple, and five RBI’s. He didn’t make the postseason roster, but it’s safe to say he held his own at the Major League level.

Yes, Goodwin isn’t a top prospect anymore, but he has the ability to push Michael Taylor for the outfield spot. Since his hot stretch after the Eaton injury, Taylor’s production has dipped at the plate. In the Phillies series this past weekend, he was 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts. But, he did have a RBI double last night.

Taylor does play great defense at the position, but if he keeps the strikeout level that high, it’s tough to play him everyday in the lineup. Look at his numbers with two strikes. He is 2-for-30 with 22 K’s in those situations. That’s eight fewer at-bats than Jayson Werth who has double the at-bats Taylor had heading into last night (60).

If Taylor doesn’t make those adjustments and continues to swing at the offspeed with two strikes, then it shouldn’t surprise someone if the Nats give Goodwin a chance to play.

Next: Our Interview With Carter Kieboom

While Goodwin may have lost a roster spot in spring training to Taylor, Baker could give him an opportunity to win a starting spot if Taylor’s struggles continue.

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