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Jameson Taillon Set the Example For Other Prospects to Follow

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BRADENTON, Fla. – Jameson Taillon made things unfair for a lot of future prospects during his 2016 season.

Most pitchers who are returning from Tommy John surgery have a rough stretch in their first full season back from the surgery. They deal with command issues, and their stuff isn’t as sharp right away. Taillon not only had sharp stuff, but had better stuff than before the surgery, using his time off to improve his game.

Most prospects struggle a bit in their adjustment to the majors when they are first promoted. Taillon’s transition to the big leagues was almost flawless. He pitched 104 innings, putting up a 3.38 ERA and a 3.43 xFIP, along with a 7.4 K/9 and a 1.5 BB/9.

Taillon set the bar way too high for future prospects when it comes to returning from Tommy John surgery, and when it comes to making their MLB debuts. At the same time, his work ethic also sets the example for those future prospects.

“He actually set a template for everybody else that does get hurt from that point on,” Clint Hurdle said of his rehab work. “Here’s a road map to follow on how he was able to bounce back, and not just bounce back, but to come back strong.”

That’s not just Hurdle discussing things theoretically. Taillon is already being used as an example by other prospects in their Tommy John return. Nick Kingham, who will pitch his first full year in 2017 since Tommy John, worked out all offseason with Taillon in order to follow his same path.

Taillon should get a lot of credit for his rehab, but also for his mentality during his rehab work. He decided during the process that he was going to do what it took to become a Major League pitcher.

“I’d say when I started doing my rehab program, I wouldn’t say that I was ready, but I was done trying to get results in the minors,” Taillon said. “I wanted to build my mechanics, and I wanted to build my repertoire to work at the highest level. I’m not going to try to build a repertoire to work to get Double-A guys out. That was a big turning point for me.”

Taillon was originally drafted in 2010 as a first rounder, and the expectations were that he would come up and perform this way at some point in his career. The earlier expectations had him doing this sooner, although the Tommy John set him back two years. Taillon feels this delay helped him in his transition to the big leagues.

“I had a long stint in the minors, and a lot of time to think about what type of pitcher I wanted to be, what’s my identity going to be, what are my mechanics going to be,” Taillon said. “Being in the minor leagues for five, six years gave me the opportunity to feel like I wasn’t rushed up at all. I was ready when I got up.”

Taillon absolutely was ready. Out of the 14 rookie starters who pitched 100+ innings, Taillon ranked 2nd in xFIP. If you look at all 142 starters last year who pitched 100+ innings, Taillon ranked 16th in xFIP. He was not only one of the best rookies, he was one of the best pitchers in 2016. That kind of jump to the majors is something that isn’t seen often, and something that Clint Hurdle hasn’t seen much in his career.

“It’s very rare. Only the elite,” Hurdle said, while referencing Jason Jennings as another player he coached who made a seamless transition. “You see guys that come up and make first impressions like that, and sometimes you’re able to follow through and continue. Sometimes you don’t hear from them again. … Jameson, whatever we presented to him, he took it upon himself to own. Control what he could control. He kept things simple. Trusted the catcher, pre-game prep, scouting reports, went out an executed pitches. A very impressive performance by him, and the consistency in which he did it the entire time.”

So how can Taillon build on that 2016 debut and avoid the dreaded sophomore slump? While he is working on some changes to his game (pun not intended), don’t expect him to overhaul too many things, as the approach that worked last year will be a similar approach this year.

“I’m trying whatever works,” Taillon said. “Power two-seam, filling up the zone, being aggressive. My stuff plays in the zone. Really, instead of trying to switch things and reinvent the book, just kind of say this is what worked. Continue with that, tighten up on it, and roll forward with that.”

You’d think that a guy who is smart enough and driven enough to avoid slumping following Tommy John, and to avoid slumping in his MLB debut would also be able to avoid the sophomore slump. Hurdle said that time will tell on that one, but said that Taillon’s skills and his preparation will put him in good position to repeat.

“He’s a smart kid and he’s a gifted kid,” Hurdle said. “He’s got skills and he works hard. So he’s got all the ingredients to continue to fight and have success at this level. Some things that are in his control, he will [keep] in control. I believe that. … I feel very confident in his preparation, his ability to execute pitches moving forward. It’s going to put him in a good position to have consistent success at the Major League level.”

Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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