Michael Taylor (baseball, born 1991)

Not to be confused with Michael Taylor (baseball, born 1985).
"Michael A. Taylor" redirects here. For the football player, see Michael Taylor (American football). For the English politician, see Michael Angelo Taylor.
Michael Taylor

Taylor batting for the Washington Nationals in 2015
Washington Nationals – No. 3
Center fielder
Born: (1991-03-26) March 26, 1991
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 12, 2014, for the Washington Nationals
MLB statistics
(through 2016 season)
Batting average .228
Home runs 22
Runs batted in 84
Stolen bases 30
Teams
Taylor in his rookie season

Michael Anthony Taylor (born March 26, 1991) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Taylor was drafted in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the 2009 MLB draft by the Washington Nationals

Early life and education

Taylor was born to military parents; his father, Anthony Taylor, was a logistics officer for 22 years in the U.S. Army. Taylor has four older sisters. He was a high school teammate of Washington Nationals teammate Matt den Dekker while attending Westminster Academy.

Career

2014 season

Taylor was added to the Washington Nationals' 40-man roster on November 20, 2013.[1] On August 10, 2014, Taylor was recalled by the Nationals when Steven Souza was placed on the 15-day disabled list.[2] On August 12, he made his Major League debut against the New York Mets in Citi Field, where he collected his first major league hit, a single off pitcher Rafael Montero. He also hit his first major league home run, a 2-run homer against pitcher Carlos Torres, that night.[3] Taylor was optioned back to the AAA Syracuse Chiefs on August 23, 2014, after the Nationals selected veteran Nate Schierholtz's contract.[4]

2015 season

Taylor opened the 2015 season as the Nationals' starting center fielder while Denard Span was on the disabled list. Despite starting the season well by sporting a .279/2/8 batting line, he was optioned to Triple A Syracuse on April 19 to make room on the 25 man roster for Span.[5] He was recalled on April 29 when Reed Johnson was placed on the disabled list.[6] During an away game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 13, Taylor substituted for right-fielder Bryce Harper after Harper was ejected in the seventh inning. In his first at-bat in the ninth inning, he came up with the bases loaded for the first time in his career and hit a go-ahead grand slam, effectively clinching the game for the Nationals.[7][8]

On August 20, 2015, Taylor hit what was the longest home run of the season to date, crushing a pitch from Colorado Rockies starter Yohan Flande an estimated 493 feet into the stands at Coors Field.[9][10] Taylor suffered a right knee injury on August 27 after slamming into the wall while attempting to run down a line drive off the bat of Melvin Upton, Jr.,[11] but he was healthy enough to make a pinch-hitting appearance in the tenth inning against the Atlanta Braves on September 4.[12] He hit a three-run home run for a walk-off victory over the visiting Braves.[13] On September 8, 2015, Taylor hit a little-league grand slam off of Mets pitcher, Matt Harvey after a bases-loaded single got by center fielder, Yoenis Cespedes and went to the wall.

2016 season

On June 22, 2016, Taylor had what a writer for the New England Sports Network described as possibly "the worst game in baseball history." He had five swinging strikeouts against the Los Angeles Dodgers and a fielding error that cost the Nationals the game when he failed to get his glove to the ground in time while charging a run-of-the-mill groundball hit by Yasiel Puig in the bottom of the ninth. The Nationals were up by one run (2-3), and the error resulted in both Howie Kendrick, who was on first base at the time, and Puig both scoring for a walkoff Dodgers victory.[14]

Taylor was optioned to the Syracuse Chiefs to make room for the reactivation of closer Jonathan Papelbon on July 4,[15] but he was recalled after appearing in just one game for the Chiefs after first baseman Ryan Zimmerman was placed on the disabled list on July 8.[16] Taylor's return to the major leagues was short-lived, however, as he was optioned back to Syracuse after going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a loss against the San Diego Padres on July 24.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Nats add three, including two arms, to 40-man roster
  2. ↑ Michael A. Taylor call-up official, Steven Souza Jr. to the DL (UPDATED)
  3. ↑ Michael A. Taylor homers in MLB debut, Nationals cruise past Mets
  4. ↑ Nationals select contract of OF Nate Schierholtz, option Michael A. Taylor to Triple-A. Michael's nickname is Michael Tater.
  5. ↑ Ladson, Bill (April 19, 2015). "Span motors home from first in DL return; Taylor optioned". mlb.com. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  6. ↑ Wagner, James; Janes, Chelsea (April 29, 2015). "Nationals call up Michael A. Taylor, Sammy Solis, option A.J. Cole to Syracuse". Washington Post. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Taylor slams Diamondbacks in ninth to lift Nationals to 9-6 win". The Washington Post. May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Harper ejected, his replacement hits game-winning slam in 9th". FOX Sports. May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  9. ↑ Richcreek, Katie (August 20, 2015). "Nationals' Michael Taylor Hits Longest Major League Home Run of 2015". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ Southard, Dargan (August 20, 2015). "Taylor breaks Statcast record with 493-ft. HR". MLB.com. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  11. ↑ Janes, Chelsea (August 28, 2015). "Michael A. Taylor says tests on bruised right knee all negative". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Nationals' Michael Taylor undergoes MRI, hopes to return soon". CBS Sports. September 4, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  13. ↑ Valentine, Harvey (September 4, 2015). "Nationals tie it the 9th, beat Braves 5-2 in 10th on Michael Taylor's pinch-hit HR". U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  14. ↑ Cole, Mike (June 23, 2016). "Nationals' Michael Taylor Might Have Had The Worst Game In Baseball History". New England Sports Network. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  15. ↑ Todd, Jeff (July 4, 2016). "Nationals Activate Jonathan Papelbon, Option Michael Taylor". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  16. ↑ Reddington, Patrick (July 8, 2016). "Nationals call up Trea Turner, Michael A. Taylor; Ryan Zimmerman to DL, Lucas Giolito to Triple-A". Federal Baseball. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  17. ↑ Hughes, Chase (July 24, 2016). "NATS OPTION GIOLITO, TAYLOR TO MAKE ROOM FOR ZIMMERMAN AND SOLIS". CSN Mid-Atlantic. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
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