Pittsburgh Pirates Wake-Up Call – Keep an Eye on Taillon this Season

In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.

Last season was like the year of the prospect for the Pirates. Normally, the Pirates have one big name prospect make his debut in the middle of the season, as was the case with Gerrit Cole, Starling Marte, and Gregory Polanco. But last year we saw Jameson Taillon, Tyler Glasnow, Josh Bell, and Chad Kuhl all make an impact at the major league level. This upcoming season may be another unique season, in that we may not see a big name prospect hit the majors next year.

That’s why I’ll be tuned into the performance of Jameson Taillon next season. Taillon had a great rookie season, and he’ll be looking to build upon that this upcoming season. We saw Cole have a similarly great rookie campaign, although it took him an extra season to really break out because of injuries in his second year. If Taillon can stay healthy, maybe his break out year can be accelerated compared to that of Cole.

Taillon has the command to be a dominant pitcher in the bigs. And he’ll need to be that if the Pirates hope to compete for a playoff spot next season.

Baseball Talk Around the Web

• Sam Miller of ESPN explains that many Hall of Fame voters don’t value analytics in their voting as much as they probably should. He makes some valid points.
• Matt Snyder of CBS Sports lists the active baseball players that may eventually end up in Cooperstown. Did any Pirates make his list?
• And Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports notes that the Dodgers are looking everywhere for a second baseman. Could Josh Harrison be on their radar?

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