The speculation does not faze Michael Taylor of the Sacramento River Cats.

The 24-year-old outfielder ranks as the second-best prospect in the Oakland Athletics’ farm system, only behind fellow River Cats teammate, Chris Carter. And with major league rosters set to expand September 1st, it’s widely expected that Taylor along with Carter will say goodbye to Sacramento sooner rather than later.

“It’s not something for me to worry about.” Taylor said when asked of his big league potential in a recent interview with the Davis Sports Deli Podcast.

“It’s best to sort of focus on what you can control and then try to do whatever you can to help the ball club win,” he continued. “I know that it’s bit of a cliché, but it is kind of the truth. It is the best kind of policy to go about (following) because the moment you take your eye or your mind off what’s important, or at least what you can control, things kind of spiral downhill.”

The River Cats need him to stay focused, considering they find themselves in a pennant race with the Fresno Grizzlies, the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. The Cats are in the midst of a crucial series with the Grizzlies and stand only one game behind their Pacific Coast League rivals for first place. So far so good for Sacramento, who have won two meetings in the current five-game home stand versus Fresno.

For Taylor, his mind is completely on the task at hand. When it comes to a potential Oakland call-up, he’s heeding the advice of teammates who’ve spent time at the big league level.

“Just go through the process,” Taylor said of the wisdom imparted on him by current A’s players like Coco Crisp, Kurt Suzuki and Jack Cust, who all saw some action this season with the River Cats.

“Everyone got there differently,” he continued. “Some guys spent a lot of time in the minor leagues. Some guys spent a little bit of time. They all say the same thing - that it’s definitely a grind, it’s a long career, it’s a long season. Get yourself ready and learn as much as you possibly can because when you get up there, everything is amplified.”

Conjecture and hearsay is nothing new for Taylor, who is a Type 1 diabetic and has had to battle misconceptions about the disease his entire baseball career. Taylor was diagnosed with the condition at the age of nine. And like the questions surrounding his potential major league debut, he doesn’t let the discussion of his diabetes affect his game.

“When I was growing up it was just something that was part of my life,” Taylor said. “Obviously when I’m nine or 10 years old, I’m not really thinking ‘is this going to ruin my professional career?’”

In fact, having dealt with the condition much of his life actually has its advantages. Taylor follows a meticulous routine when monitoring his diabetes, almost to a fault. But the young outfielder would rather be safe than sorry considering a baseball game’s limitless time frame.

“I’m almost, how would you say, overtop with the amount of times I test because I just want to know where I’m at, at all times,” said Taylor, who always carries a supply of insulin, snacks and juice with him in the dugout during games. “I don’t want any surprises and I think that’s sort of my strategy.”

Perhaps if he treats his work ethic as meticulously as his approach to diabetes, success could surely follow at the next stage of his career.

You can hear the entire conversation with Michael Taylor on this week’s Davis Sports Deli Podcast. Jonathan Santiago is a contributor to SLAM Online and the KFBK Afternoon News with Kitty O’Neal.