Jameson Taillon is not just a Top 10 Prospect; he is a Top 10 phenom Prospect drafted out of high school in 2010 2nd overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2011 Taillon got a taste of what playing minor league ball was like. Standing in at 6’ 6”, and as perfect of a specimen one could find, this youngster has the potential as high as the sky.
He has the capacity to be a workhorse in the starting rotation in the near future. He will need to work hard to where his ceiling will reach, but it’s not unreachable by any means. This kid has a 5 pitch sequence, yes, not all of it is A+, but still plenty of time to bring it that way. His fastball sits at a comfortable speed between 94-97mph, and his two seam fastball sits anywhere from 91-93 mph. His 2 seam fastball is the better movement pitch of the two, with considerable drop off.
Jameson comes in also with a slider and curveball. His slider is more serious at this low level than most scouts have seen before. He averages close to 82-84mph, while I believe this pitch will come with time and development in the minor leagues as he progresses his way up the ladder to AA and AAA. During his stint with West Virginia, the Power visited the Suns, I was able to meet Jameson, and I must say, this kid is a must like. My friend Shawn and I were able to chat with him a bit, and obtain several autographs.
The curveball is one of his better pitches, while he doesn’t use his slider much; he likes his fastball/curveball combination. Early on he was tipping his curveball pitch, which led to some adjusting, however, he rebounded well. His curveball averages 80 mph and will need minor adjusting. The changeup will need retuning this off-season, after he throws it minimal, but when he does it’s left up in the zone.
In 2011 Taillon pitched in 23 games, with an ending ERA of 3.98. Taillon struck out 97 in just 92.2 innings and only allowing 22 BB. His record of 2-3 doesn’t compare to what he showed on the mound. His K/9 ratio led to 9.4 and a whip of 1.198.
Taillon is magic in the making, and his hard work and dedication to the game of baseball will only push him as far as he wants to go in the MLB. My prediction is starting rotation for the Pirates in 2015.
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