Is Nationals Michael A. Taylor worth more fantasy attention?

By Brad Kelly | Jun 25, 2017

Jun 24, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals center fielder Michael Taylor (3) hits a double against the Cincinnati Reds in the eighth inning at Nationals Park. The Nationals won 18-3. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Michael A. Taylor is on a roll at the plate for the Nationals. But, is the tantalizing outfielder worth more fantasy attention?

Stop me if you have heard this before, but Michael A. Taylor is starting to show signs again of the potential that the Nationals have long hoped for. Yet, even though he still looks the part and has all the raw talent to be a quality major leaguer, the 26-year-old has never lived up to the hype.

But, now that he is swinging the bat and playing defense better than ever for Washington, should fantasy owners be giving him more attention?

No matter what fantasy sport it is, owners tend to have short leashes and long memories. When it comes to Taylor, more than one owner has taken the plunge hoping that each passing year will be the year he puts it all together. Unfortunately, that year has never come. But, 61 games into the 2017 season, his .273/10 HR/28 RBI/7 SB/.813 OPS line is the best we have seen from him.

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The center field spot in Washington has been a revolving door for a multitude of reasons. Just when it looked as though that Adam Eaton was the saving grace, a torn ACL ended that hope. For better or worse, Taylor was a player that the Nationals seemingly did not want to quit on because of the potential. In 2017, he is showing that once again through his tremendous defense and the uptick in power.

In terms of fantasy, Taylor is quietly one of the best contributors over the last two months. He has hit .280+ in both months while notching at least four homers and 12 RBI. He has 49 hits over that span, with 13 going for XBH. His most notable performance of the season came on June 24 as he pummeled Reds’ pitching to the tune of two homers in a four for five performance.

Digging deeper into his batted ball data, Taylor is showing signs of improvement, but not without some warning signs. It would not be right if he did not tantalize yet again with his 21% LD, 50% Med and 36% Hard contact rates, yet match that with a 33% K rate.

The K rate is easily the highest rate of his career, yet the results are better than ever. One could draw two observations from his batted ball data. He has a career-best .368 BABIP, he does have the speed to justify that clip, but there is also the idea that he is seeing more fastballs and pitches in the zone while batting near the bottom of the order. Taylor is a great fastball hitter, allowing him to excel.

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No matter what the causation may be, Taylor is posting great stats for a guy that is barely owned in 10% of leagues across every fantasy format. The K rate will surely catch up, no one expects him to win a batting title, but a .260/15 HR/50 RBI.15 SB line is there to be had. I for one have been burned by Taylor before, but the stats are hard to ignore.

Give him a closer look.

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