Michael Taylor superstar

[bluestreak]

Plate discipline too!!

[ZimW1N]

I want to believe that Taylor has finally turned a corner and will play up to his potential but I just can't shake this feeling that this streak will end and we'll be stuck with the same ol' AAAA strikeout machine for the rest of the season.

[Ray D]

One thing is for sure: We are stuck with Taylor in center for now, there is no other option on the roster to play regular centerfield.  (No, not Harper, Turner, Werth, or any bench guy.)  And as we are the best team in the NL (and a half game behind the best team in the majors) there is no reason to make a move as long as we keep winning, because acquiring a legitimate centerfielder is going to be costly, and bringing up one from the minors is probably going to be a failed experiment.  So I expect Taylor will be the centerfielder probably for the rest of the month.  That's plenty of time to find out who he is.   

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

One thing is for sure: We are stuck with Taylor in center for now, there is no other option on the roster to play regular centerfield.  (No, not Harper, Turner, Werth, or any bench guy.)  And as we are the best team in the NL (and a half game behind the best team in the majors) there is no reason to make a move as long as we keep winning, because acquiring a legitimate centerfielder is going to be costly, and bringing up one from the minors is probably going to be a failed experiment.  So I expect Taylor will be the centerfielder probably for the rest of the month.  That's plenty of time to find out who he is.

Agreed.  Plan A is to give MAT the month of May to prove capable.  He doesn't need to be a top of the order or middle of the order quality bat.  He plays a good CF, so just being an average hitter in the 7th hole would work with the depth in this lineup around him.

I'd say Plan B if MAT fails around June would be to give Stevenson a crack.  I can't see Robles forcing his way at 19.  Maybe Bautista gets a brief tryout as well and some spot starts if MAT is struggling before we go that route. 

Plan C would be to acquire somebody at the deadline.  It wouldn't be a really high-end long-term guy I don't think, just a passable rental. 

Eaton is such a gritty guy that I wouldn't be totally shocked if he returned right at the postseason.  Who knows what he could actually give us.  Kyle Scrwarber tore his ACL a few weeks earlier in the season and was only able to DH in the postseason.  I could see Eaton being available off the bench or as a DH, but playing CF would be tough.  Really tough. 

[Optics]

He's basically going to take Espinosa of last year's place in the lineup. Same type of player. Speed with power, but streaky and Ks a lot. If he can just not K as often as Espi he'd be an upgrade. The rest of the lineup appears to be at least as good if not better(and in some spots substantially better)then last year.

[Slateman]

would really be huge for this team if he turned the corner. next year harper/taylor/eaton. the question is, when harper is gone, who plays cf? robles, Stevenson or taylor?

We trade them for pitching

[WVUGold]

I'd rather have a legit closer than an above average CF. We were a stacked lineup with Eaton and we're still heavy without him, but we need to stick to our roots as a pitching team and go for a closer over a position player mid season

[aspenbubba]

Eaton is not coming back in October. He hasn't had his surgery and probably won't for another two weeks until the swelling subsides. He is probably doing some PT now but that is only preliminary if the high ankle sprain is allowing it.

[bluestreak]

When asked to explain what's behind the 9 for 19 streak (per Chelsea Janes):

“A lot of prayer,” Taylor said after, by way of explanation. “I feel bad for my Mom. She’s probably up all night and all day just praying for me. At the plate, I’m just trying to relax and have fun and not put too much pressure on myself.”

I really like this kid. I hope he does well.

[mitlen]

I really like this kid. I hope he does well.

[madj55]

Agreed. Especially after his Dad passing away a couple months ago. He needs a good year.

[whytev]

When asked to explain what's behind the 9 for 19 streak (per Chelsea Janes):

“A lot of prayer,” Taylor said after, by way of explanation. “I feel bad for my Mom. She’s probably up all night and all day just praying for me. At the plate, I’m just trying to relax and have fun and not put too much pressure on myself.”

I really like this kid. I hope he does well.

You guys I think I'm religious now.

[aBaltoNat]

You guys I think I'm religious now.

If you don't like him as a person, you have a problem.

If you are wanting to like him as a player, you are mitlen.

[whytev]

If you don't like him as a person, you have a problem.

If you are wanting to like him as a player, you are mitlen.

I am Milten.

But if praying can make that kid hit .400...I believe in God.  TESTIFY!

[mitlen]

If you don't like him as a person, you have a problem.

If you are wanting to like him as a player, you are mitlen.

As a person, I like him.    He seems like a decent and humble man.     As a player?     I wanna like Michael A. Taylor.     Show us more.

[dshawg77]

I am not a believer yet, but sure would be terrific if a light went on, it would be a huge asset after losing Eaton.

[bluestreak]

I am not a believer yet, but sure would be terrific if a light went on, it would be a huge asset after losing Eaton.

I'm new, but in my short time watching he doesn't look like a strikeout machine.  And even on his outs, he's hitting the ball hard. I'm going to be the optimist of the board. I think he's going to do well. Sometimes it takes a guy a while to figure it out.

[vernon337]

If he can  hit .250/.320/.420, that would be about league average, and I would be happy with that (especially with his ability to steal bases and his defense).  Would like to see a little bit more power, which he showed during that one stretch in the minors.

[Elvir Ovcina]

If he can  hit .250/.320/.420, that would be about league average, and I would be happy with that (especially with his ability to steal bases and his defense).  Would like to see a little bit more power, which he showed during that one stretch in the minors.

I'd be delighted with league average offense and his defense.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'd be delighted with league average offense and his defense.

frankly, he's be a borderline cog you build around if he could just give you a 100 OPS+

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Right now, Anthony Rendon has a 101 OPS+. Since he and Taylor are on the same team, you can maybe look to Rendon OPS as what we would want from Taylor to be a good every day player with his defense.  Rendon's slash line is .270 / .348 / .410.  Yangervis Solarte is another 101 OPS+ and Ben Zobrist is a 99.  Their slash lines are .278 / .344 / .407, with SD as a home park, and .233 / .347 / .395 in Wrigley.  OPS+ doesn't look at average.  A walk or an HBP is as good as a hit in OBP, but power is needed to make up for a low average in SLG. 

Taylor right now has a respectable OBP (.333), driven by a high average for him (.275) and a high BABIP (.407).  What he's not yet doing is hitting for power.  His career isolated power (SLG - batting average) is .132.  If his slash line were .275 /  .333 / .407, he'd be doing very close to what Solarte is doing.  Add in the defense, and he's a good CF.  however, he needs to reduce his K% from nearly 1 out of every 3 at bats so that when his BABIP comes back to normal levels around .320, he's putting enough balls in play that his average does not suffer.  He needs to do that while boosting his power (doubles, homers).   

All of this is just playing around with small numbers, but the rate stats gives you a sense of what you want MAT to do.

[RobDibblesGhost]

Back to his old ways. 2 for his last 20 with a 55% K rate.

[bluestreak]

Back to his old ways. 2 for his last 20 with a 55% K rate.

And then he gets an RBI single.

[RobDibblesGhost]

And then he gets an RBI single.

And then a home run

[Slateman]

Danny Espinosa in CF