Williams sees "tremendous" progress with Taylor

TAMPA, Fla. - The Nationals are now 3-1 in the Grapefruit League after falling 3-2 to the Yankees on Sunday afternoon.

It was the first tune-up start for Doug Fister, who needed just 19 pitches to complete two scoreless frames that included one hit and one walk.

"I felt like it was my first outing of the spring," Fister said. "There's definitely some things I need to work on and I've got to get better at already. Not a bad outing to look at overall. Still fighting myself trying to stay back and get on top of the ball to throw my sinker with the command I want.

"Obviously, I walked a guy. That's got to diminish completely. I feel OK where I'm at right now. I still have a lot of time to build upon."

Manager Matt Williams was pleased with Fister's effort saying that the 32-year-old veteran could've pitched much longer. It was a typical outing for the efficient Fister, who's known as one of the game's fastest workers on the mound. He makes a living off groundball outs and Sunday was no different, as he got four of them in his abbreviated outing.

"Those guys know that I throw a sinker," Fister said. "I think I throw it 70 percent of the time. They know it's coming and I want them to hit it. I want the contact and I want to use the defense. That's the biggest thing for me and that's what I'm working on right now.

"I'm not going out there trying to strike anybody out. I'll put that on the table right now. I'm trying to go out there and get bad contact really early and let us stay in the game."

The Nationals jumped out in front quickly when highly regarded prospect Michael A. Taylor led off the game with a home run to left-center. Two innings later, Taylor singled to left on a sharply hit ball. Both hits for Taylor came on fastballs on the first pitch of the at-bat.

"Going up there, just had the green light. Spring training's a little different. You don't know how many at-bats you're going to get," Taylor said. "Went up there aggressive and got a good pitch to hit and just took a hack."

Williams has noticed improvement in Taylor, whose rare combination of speed and power is responsible for his high ranking among major league prospects.

"I think he just got confidence a little bit last year," Williams said. "He had a good season in his own right in the minor league system and got a taste of the big leagues, so that all gives him confidence. He can really turn around a fastball."

After homering in his major league debut, Taylor hit just .205 with 17 strikeouts in 39 at-bats in 17 games in 2015. He also racked up a combined 144 strikeouts between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse last year.

"The steps between last spring and this spring have been tremendous," Williams said. "The more accustomed he gets, the more at-bats he gets, the better he's going to be. The more breaking balls he sees, the more fastballs he sees, it's all better for him."

Taylor could potentially be the Nationals' opening day left fielder with Jayson Werth's availability following rehab from shoulder surgery in January. However, there is a question in the organization whether to keep Taylor on the major league roster, where he doesn't figure to get consistent at-bats once Werth returns, or send him to Triple-A Syracuse, where he can improve by playing every day.

General manager Mike Rizzo has experienced a similar situation with Tyler Moore. Moore, the Nats' 2010 minor league Player of the Year, has struggled the past two seasons with infrequent plate appearances while bouncing back and forth between Syracuse and D.C.

He's out of minor league options meaning the Nats need to keep him on the 25-man opening day roster or subject him to the waiver wire, where he's likely to be claimed.

Moore continued to make his case on Sunday afternoon. He hit two more doubles, one to right field and one to left-center, running his total to four so far this exhibition season. Overall, he also has a homer, a triple and six RBIs in just eight at-bats. That's 15 total bases in three games for Moore, who's also a candidate to start opening day in left field should he make the team.

His teammate Taylor has recognized Moore's blazing-hot start.

"He's raking," Taylor said. "I'll have to find his bat bag and put my bats in there."

Gio Gonzalez, the lone Nationals starter not to pitch yet, will get his chance tomorrow against the Braves at Space Coast Stadium. Williams said the plan is to gradually increase the starters' workload once they get through the rotation once.