NEW YORK – About a month ago, I saw Jameson Taillon pitch in Indianapolis. He didn’t have his best stuff that night, with his curveball command off. Despite this, he managed a good outing, thanks to his changeup picking up the slack, and his fastball command looking good. On that night, he looked ready for the big leagues, even without his best stuff.
Of course, the Pirates waited a few more weeks for Super Two to pass, which makes sense when you consider the long-term costs of Super Two, and the short-term need to limit Taillon’s innings after missing two years with injuries (they used this time to skip him a turn in the rotation).
They called him up for a spot start last week, but sent him back down right after the outing. That made sense too, as they needed bullpen help, and he wouldn’t have started until today. Worst case, they would have missed this start, and would have probably brought him back up on Sunday, the first day he would have been eligible to return to the big leagues. But Gerrit Cole’s injury allowed them to call Taillon up for tonight, and also means Taillon will be in the big leagues for at least two more starts.
The Pirates had a good reason to keep Taillon down for a few extra weeks to avoid Super Two. They had a good reason to send him back down briefly after his debut. But there is no reason at all for him to return to the minors.
Jameson Taillon is ready. There’s nothing for him to learn at the minor league level. He’s not a finished product just yet, but at this point everything he needs to learn is at the Major League level. This is one of those stories where it “magically” happens right around the time Super Two passes. As I’ve been saying for a month, that common line, which isn’t always accurate with every player, was accurate with Taillon.
When you can carve up a Mets lineup like he did tonight, in his first start on the road in an MLB park, and using primarily his fastball, then there’s no reason to be pitching to minor league hitters. When you decide to use the fastball not because the other pitches aren’t working, but just because they can’t do anything against the pitch, then you don’t have anything to prove against minor leaguers.
You can check out my live recap of Taillon’s start tonight here. After the game, I talked to Chris Stewart, who caught Taillon tonight, about what he saw.
“The kid’s special,” Stewart said. “Obviously the physical abilities are there. Throwing the ball mid-90s with movement. Having a good feel for it. I think what makes him really special was his poise out there. You wouldn’t know that was his second big league start today. The way he carried himself, the way he handles himself out there on the mound. It’s a guy that’s had five, six, seven years in the big leagues kind of poise. He’s special. Just showed us all what he’s capable of tonight. I don’t see any reason why he can’t just keep doing what he did tonight, all throughout the future.”
That poise is the exact reason Taillon is ready. He doesn’t let things get to him. Making his second start, and first one on the road? No problem. Giving up a no-hitter in the seventh inning? Just get a double play in the next at-bat. Shake off your catcher once and hit a guy with an 0-2 pitch? Immediately stop doing that, and trust the veteran behind the plate.
Taillon doesn’t look like a rookie. He attacks hitters, and with the stuff he has, that can be dangerous. He doesn’t let the big leagues get to him, and so far hasn’t come unraveled yet in his first two outings, going up against a very difficult offense.
The next two starts will be the same — on the road in Chicago on Sunday Night Baseball, and at home against the Dodgers. Those starts are going to tell us a lot about Taillon and whether he’s ready for the big leagues. But I think we’ve already seen it. Taillon looks ready right now. He looks like he should be here to stay.
**Jameson Taillon Throws a Gem to Get the Pirates Back on Track. My live game recap from tonight’s Taillon start.
**Pirates Sign Blake Cederlind, Cam Vieaux, Brent Gibbs, Clark Eagan and Dylan Prohoroff. Five signings that we know of so far, and four of them are reported under slot, with the price of the final deal unknown. This helps the Pirates to sign their four prep pitchers in the top 11 rounds.
**Prospect Watch: Gage Hinsz Strikes Out Nine, Meadows Sets Altoona Record. Two prospects to really get excited about right now.
**Kevin Newman and Wyatt Mathisen Added to Bradenton, Rosario Promoted to Altoona. News on Newman and Mathisen. The good thing here is that Newman didn’t need surgery after getting hit in the eye with a pitch.
**Pirates to Place Gerrit Cole on Disabled List; Recall Jameson Taillon. The news on Cole going to the DL and Taillon coming up, with more on Cole tomorrow.
**Justin Masterson Looking to Build Arm Strength Back Up, Moves to Indianapolis Bullpen. Brian Peloza discussed Justin Masterson’s move to the Indianapolis bullpen, and his quest to build up his arm strength and increase his velocity.
**Draft Rumors: Some Late Round Picks have Indicated They Will Sign. John Dreker with some draft rumors, noting a few picks who have said they will sign.
**Morning Report: Austin Meadows Has Been on an Incredible Streak. John Dreker breaks down the recent hot streak from Meadows.
