Williams thinks Taylor has ROY case

SAN FRANCISCO -- Nationals manager Matt Williams said center fielder Michael Taylor should be a candidate for the National League Rookie of the Year.

Taylor has been steady in center field ever since Denard Span went on disabled list. In his last 18 games, Taylor is 20-for-66 (.303) with four home runs and 13 RBIs. His best work is with runners in scoring position, hitting .371, which ranks 10th in the Major Leagues.

Overall, Taylor has put up respectable numbers this season, hitting 10 home runs with 48 RBIs, which ranks third on the team behind Bryce Harper and Wilson Ramos.

Taylor is also one of the best defensive center fielders in the game. He makes fantastic catches in the gap on a regular basis.

"He has played an exceptional center field and he is getting big base hits for us," Williams said. "He had two hits last night against [Clayton] Kershaw. He just continues to make the improvements every day. The more he gets adjusted to the league and sees all these pitchers, the better off he'll be. I think he has played very well."