Washington Nationals oufielder Michael A. Taylor hits the first pitch of the game over left center for a home run during spring training action against the New York Yankees last week. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

Depending on who tells the story, Michael A. Taylor’s reaction the day his career pivoted toward center field could be described as “apprehensive,” “distraught” or “thoroughly pissed off.”

Taylor began that day in the fall of 2010 as a gangly shortstop, having just completed his first season of professional baseball. He ended it being told his new patrol would be the outfield grass. More than four years later, he is the likely starter for the Washington Nationals on opening day.

Just before instructional league began that fall, the Nationals’ player development staff told Taylor he would be switching positions. Unrelentingly polite, with emotions held so firmly in check that those who do not know him well might believe he has no emotions at all, Taylor was uncharacteristically unsettled — which for Taylor probably consisted of a vigorous blink.

“That’s just the competitor in him,” Nationals first base coach Tony Tarasco said. “We knew it was a good move for him. We didn’t know it was going to be that good a move for him.”

Despite his apprehension, Nationals coaches began Taylor’s tutelage later that day. Within hours, Taylor had made two standout plays.

Taylor had played some center field in high school at Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where his coach, Gregg Mucerino, played him mostly at shortstop, though he had occasional stints as a closer with a 90 mph fastball.

Washington selected Taylor in the sixth round of the 2009 draft. A little more than a year later, Mucerino got a call from his former standout shortstop, concerned about the position change.

“He was a little distraught about it,” Mucerino said. “I said, ‘You know what? Go for it. Take the pressure off yourself defensively. Go out there and just worry about hitting because that’s what’s going to get you to the big leagues anyway.’ ”

Nationals Director of Player Development Mark Scialabba said a hand injury prevented Taylor from getting the amount of work at shortstop the organization had hoped for that first year. Assistant general manager Doug Harris said the team saw an opportunity to “tap into his athleticism,” which would play well in the outfield. Taylor felt no need for euphemism.

“Just not a very good shortstop,” he said with a smile. “Going into center field, once I moved, I was very determined to be the best I could out there. The next stop was probably home after that, so I went out there and worked very hard.”

Taylor carried a notebook around with him in the minor leagues, diligently cataloging each at-bat and pitchers’ tendencies for holding runners. Most outfielders shag balls and practice throwing from one outfield position.

Taylor would practice from all of them and shift to different depths.

Check out the new Nationals' pitcher Max Scherzer, who recently joined the team from the American League, swing a bat during his first week of hitting practice at spring training. The Nats gave him a seven-year, $210 million contract, but can he successfully lay down a bunt? (McKenna Ewen/The Washington Post)

He also became friends with then-fellow infielder Steven Souza Jr., whom the Nationals also converted to an outfielder a few years later.

“What I noticed right away, [Taylor] was really quiet. Extremely quiet,” said Souza, who was traded to the Rays this offseason. “Good athlete and a very disciplined person. But very timid.”

The 6-foot-4 Taylor has good speed, but early in his career he would hardly stray a step from first base, let alone the conservative recommended distance of a step and a dive.

“He’s standing two feet off the bag,” Tarasco said. “I’m like, ‘Dude, what are you doing?’ ”

But the move to center allowed Taylor to shed that timidity. Harris saw him “flourish,” free to fly around the outfield. Last season, playing at Class AA and Class AAA, Taylor stole 37 bases in 46 attempts, hit 23 home runs and batted .304.

“He did some things in a short period of time that you don’t see a lot of young players doing when they make a position change,” Harris said. “The confidence grew, and that helped him grow offensively.”

Souza also noticed a change in Taylor’s approach. As the two became friends and worked together to learn the outfield, Souza said Taylor’s “personality came out more. He was funnier.”

Taylor also began to hone his new craft, perfecting reads as he found his niche.

“He became more aggressive just as a baseball player,” Souza said. “He started to believe in his abilities.”

Tarasco watched Taylor’s leads grow little by little. The Nationals watched his defense grow exponentially.

Taylor tends to play more shallow than other outfielders. He has the speed to retreat and to get behind fly balls others cannot, the instincts to take routes others do not and the first step to cut off would-be doubles in the gap. He has the arm to turn uncommon plays into unexpected outfield assists.

His offense is beginning to catch up to his defense, though he sometimes struggles with an over-aggressive approach and inconsistent pitch recognition. Taylor has filled out since his days as an infielder and in so doing turned power potential into often prolific power. He homered in his major league debut in August and has spent nearly every spring training batting practice smashing balls deep over Grapefruit League fences.

Given that Denard Span was well entrenched in center field, Taylor looked likely to begin the 2015 season in Class AAA Syracuse or on the Nationals’ bench. After Span had surgery last week that will force him to miss several weeks of the regular season, Nationals General Manager and President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo told Taylor he would be needed sooner.

“Michael Taylor is one of the core players of the future,” Rizzo said last week. “And the future is today instead of later on in his career.”

Taylor was characteristically understated about the prospect of starting opening day. He said he was disappointed Span got injured and he was “just ready” for the opportunity.

“He’s about ready, to be honest with you,” Span said. “. . . Mentally, he has a good head on his shoulders. He’s going to be real good. I’m not going to say it — he might be better than me — but he’s gonna be a good player.”

Whether it was four-plus years ago when discussing his move from shortstop or this week when talking about his ability to handle an opening day start, Nationals executives and coaches choose the same words when describing Taylor: “quiet,” “disciplined,” “well mannered” and “ready.”