WASHINGTON -- One of the Nationals' biggest breakout performers last season was Michael A. Taylor, who grabbed hold of his opportunity to play center field every day after Adam Eaton's torn ACL and showed signs of the five-tool prospect the team had touted for years.
Washington had been waiting for this sort of performance from Taylor since his Major League debut in 2014. Each of the previous three seasons, he had been given the chance to take over as the starting center fielder following an injury, first to Denard Span in '15 then to Ben Revere in '16.