Washington Nationals: 3 players poised to make the leap in 2018
By Brian Foley
Michael Taylor, OF
After a combined 72 OPS+ from 2014-16, Taylor seemingly lost his opportunity to take over the starting centerfield position. But less than a month into the season, Adam Eaton skidded over first base, and the job once again belonged to Taylor. Only this time, he ran with it.
In 118 games last year, Taylor posted career-highs across the board and finished with a .271/.320/.486 line. Pile his 105 OPS+ onto his typically excellent glove, and Taylor finished with a 3.1 WAR despite missing more than a month with an oblique injury.
Taylor’s impending 2018 breakout is partially due to that injury. After Eaton went down, the rangy 26-year-old batted .295/.339/.550 with 12 home runs until he succumbed to his own injury in July. Once he returned from the disabled list, it took him a couple weeks in August to get going before he re-discovered his swing in September (.898 OPS to finish the season).
If Taylor gets a full season in centerfield, he will certainly be a 20-20 player, and those are hard to find – only two centerfielders managed to cross that threshold in 2017 (Taylor finished with 19 homers and 17 stolen bases).
Yes, there will be some lows with Taylor. He is always going to strikeout, and there could be some dry spells. But the peaks will be about as good as any centerfielder in baseball. If his 2017 performance is any indicator, the high points will be coming fast and furious.