Plenty of competition for Michael A. Taylor in NL Rookie of the Year race

Nationals manager Matt Williams says that outfielder Michael A. Taylor deserves to be in the running for the National League Rookie of the Year.

He's right, but there's plenty of competition.

The Dodgers' Joc Pederson was the clear winner at the All-Star break, but his power has faded and his strikeouts have soared in the second half. If it hadn't been for his defense, the Dodgers might have sent him to the minor leagues.

Taylor has done a good job filling in while Jayson Werth and Denard Span (still not back) have been sidelined with injuries. Taylor has played all three outfield positions, including 60 games in center and 38 in left.

He's hitting .244 with 10 home runs going into Friday night. He's been excellent on defense and good in the clutch, hitting .366 with runners in scoring position but only .219 when the bases are empty. Also, he's got 112 strikeouts to 20 walks, which says he needs more work if he's going to grow into a productive leadoff batter.

Houston shortstop Carlos Correa is the clear favorite to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award.

The Phillies have two impressive rookies in third baseman Maikel Franco and outfielder Odubel Herrera, but here is how the leading contenders stack up against Taylor:

- Matt Duffy, San Francisco: Duffy was the Giants' utility infielder, but when Casey McGehee blew his opportunity to replace Pedro Sandoval, Duffy took over the job. For a player that had only eight extra-base hits and a .244 average as a junior at Long Beach State, Duffy has been impressive. He hits No. 3 in the Giants' order. He's hitting .303 with a .339 on-base percentage, but the biggest surprise is his nine home runs.

- Kris Bryant, Chicago: Certainly, the most hyped rookie when he was called up to the Cubs in mid-April, he had a strong May with seven home runs, and he's doing a bit of everything, including 16 home runs and 12 steals. Also, his 66 RBIs are impressive.

- Jung-Ho Kang, Pittsburgh: Kang moved into a starting role because of injuries to Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer. Kang has played solid defense and hit for power and average. He's 28 and played professionally in Korea. His experience could hurt his chances, although that didn't bother BBWAA voters when former Japanese player Ichiro Suzuki of Seattle won the AL award in 2001.

- Randal Grichuk, St. Louis: A former Angels prospect, he's come up big after the Cardinals' outfield was thinned with injuries. He's played all three outfield positions and is on his way to 20 home runs for the team leading the NL Central.

- Yasmany Tomas, Arizona: He's a .300 hitter who has played first and third base, right and left field.

- Noah Syndergaard, New York: The Mets are in first place, thanks to some incredible pitching by a guy they acquired from Toronto in a trade. He's got better than a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 3.07 ERA. The Mets would not be leading the NL East without him. He can't pitch anywhere but in New York: His ERA at home is 1.81, but 5.01 on the road.

- Chris Heston, San Francisco: A pitcher who started the season in the minor leagues, he's been a stable force in a Giants rotation that is shaky after Madison Bumgarner. Heston has made 23 starts and pitched 141 innings. He's got two complete games, including a no-hitter. In most seasons, Heston's pitching would have been enough to win the award, but not this season.