Jameson Taillon waiting on Pittsburgh Pirates

After putting together yet another incredible outing today, Jameson Taillon is no longer politely waiting patiently for his chance with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He’s practically kicking down the door at this point.  In a staff of highly touted prospects and elite minor league pitchers, Jameson Taillon has separated himself.  Two years out of competitive baseball will do that for a pitcher, but now that he is back, he is showing undeniable signs of reaching the upper echelon of his potential.

Today against the Norfolk Tides, Taillon pitched seven innings, allowing one earned run on two walks, seven strikeouts, and five hits.  His command was nearly flawless, and his curveball, once touted as one of the best in the minor leagues, could be one of the best in the world.  It’s high praise for a player yet to pitch in a major league game, but that’s only a matter of time.

At this point, Taillon is only putting in innings and taking names, as the Pirates front office waits for the Super 2 deadline to pass at some point near the end of next month.  It’s a cruel fate meant to protect organizations from constantly increasing payrolls, now at the highest point ever for MLB.

It’s cruel for the Pirates too.  Saving millions potentially years down the road means keeping one of the five best starting pitchers in the organization held back to outclass a level to which he is clearly superior.

That’s right.  Taillon is one of the five best starting pitchers the Pirates have, and it’s not just the statistical results which support the argument.  He has the command and quality necessary for his pitches to get MLB hitters out, and Taillon is as good as any in the organization at putting out fires with a heavy ground ball rate induced from pitches with a ton of sink.

Statistically, the only fair comparison would be what he did in three starts at Altoona at the end of the 2012 season when he posted a 1.59 ERA over 17.0 IP with a 0.71 WHIP and .183 batting average against.  In 2016, he has a 1.54 ERA over 23.1 innings over four starts.  He had yet to surrender a walk until today.

Sooner, rather than later, it will Jameson Taillon taking a walk, out to the mound at PNC Park that is, and it will be a sight no Pirates fan should miss.

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