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Happy B-Day, Michael Taylor: Dusty Baker and Max Scherzer on the now-25-year-old Nationals' outfielder

Michael Taylor is 18 for 37 this Spring. He has a .486/.513/.919 line. Both Washington Nationals' skipper Dusty Baker and Nats' starter Max Scherzer talked this week about how impressed they are with the now-25-year-old outfielder this Spring.

By Patrick Reddington
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Taylor's last game as a 24-year-old, (he turned 25 today) was a 2 for 4 game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday in which he hit a two-run double and a two-run home run in what ended up an 8-2 win for the Washington Nationals..

The two-hit game left Taylor 18 for 37 this Spring (.486/.513/.919) with four doubles, four home runs, 13 runs batted in, two walks and nine Ks in 15 games in Grapefruit League action.

Dusty Baker was asked after the game what he could say about what he's seen from Taylor so far this Spring?

"I can't say enough," Baker told reporters.

"He's opened up everybody's eyes. This is what's great about big league baseball. We brought in Ben Revere and it's only made Michael Taylor better." -Max Scherzer on Nationals' outfielder Michael Taylor

"I can't say more than I said yesterday. He did the same thing yesterday or the day before. He's been playing his butt off. Him and Ben Revere. Both of them are having great Springs. They do what they're supposed to do. Ben is supposed to get on base and score runs. Michael has the capability of doing everything.

"But, we can only play three of them at a time. There's not a quarterback controversy, it is what it is."

As things stand, Revere is expected to play center on a regular basis with Jayson Werth in left, Bryce Harper in right and Taylor coming off the bench and filling in when necessary to get everyone the at bats and the rest they need.

Baker talked earlier this Spring about how valuable Taylor can be, and how he'll align the outfield when he gives Werth a day off.

"I don't want to move everybody in the outfield around all the time," Baker said. "So on days that Jayson wouldn't play, then I'd put Revere in left and Michael in center.

"Revere is an outstanding center fielder, he just doesn't have the arm strength like Michael Taylor has, so I'd probably move him that way and [Harper] is going to play most days, so, like I said, that's a very valuable asset to have."

Baker isn't the only one impressed with what Taylor has done so far this Spring.

Max Scherzer, who started Thursday's game against the Cards, talked after the game about how the now-25-year-old outfielder has reacted to the Nationals acquiring another center fielder after Taylor played center for most of the 2015 campaign with Denard Span injured.

Don't tell Dusty Baker you like Michael Taylor more than he does

 Photo © Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports

"He's really doing some things," Scherzer said.

"He's opened up everybody's eyes. This is what's great about big league baseball. We brought in Ben Revere and it's only made Michael Taylor better.

"When you have competition around, it can bring out the best in everybody and what we're seeing out of him, he's growing up right in front of our eyes and getting even better.

"It puts a smile on everybody's face. You want to see everybody have success because you know at the end of the day we're all pulling on the same rope, so it's exciting."

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