Jameson Taillon
Encyclopedia
Jameson Taillon is a Canadian American professional baseball
pitcher
in the Pittsburgh Pirates
organization of Major League Baseball
. He attended The Woodlands High School
in Texas
. Taillon was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates
as the second overall pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft
.
Taillon stands at 6'7" and has a fastball
that has hit 99 miles per hour (MPH) as well as a "plus" curveball
according to MLB.com
. He caught the attention of Pirates scouts with a 22–6 high school career record. He was 8–1 his senior
year and threw a 19-strikeout
no-hitter
against rival Conroe High School
on March 23, 2010. Fangraphs
called Taillon the best high school pitching prospect since Josh Beckett
. Baseball America
compared him to pitchers like Stephen Strasburg
. Pirates general manager
Neal Huntington
said of Taillon, "He has the stuff that allows you to envision down the road a top-of-the-rotation starter
."
As he was born in Florida and his parents were born in Canada, Taillon is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada and the highest draft pick ever taken from that nation.
with Rice University
in November 2009 that posed a challenge to the Pirates in their effort to sign him. However, hours before the signing deadline, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
reported that Taillon had indeed signed with the Pirates. Baseball America's Jim Callis
reported that Taillon's deal included a $6.5 million signing bonus, the 2nd highest in draft history.
Taillon will make his professional debut on April 27, 2011 with the Pirates' low-A affiliate, the West Virginia Power
. He joined the team on April 24 after staying in Florida for an extended spring training assignment. He is set to debut against the Hagerstown Suns
(affiliates of the Washington Nationals
) and Bryce Harper
, the only player to be picked ahead of him in the 2010 draft.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
organization of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He attended The Woodlands High School
The Woodlands High School
The Woodlands High School is a public high school in The Woodlands CDP, unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas, United States and is a part of the Conroe Independent School District...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Taillon was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
as the second overall pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft
2010 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in New York City.-First-round selections:The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team picking first.Key...
.
Taillon stands at 6'7" and has a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
that has hit 99 miles per hour (MPH) as well as a "plus" curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
according to MLB.com
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. . MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports columns...
. He caught the attention of Pirates scouts with a 22–6 high school career record. He was 8–1 his senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
year and threw a 19-strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against rival Conroe High School
Conroe High School
Conroe High School is a secondary school in Conroe, Texas and is the flagship campus of Conroe ISD. The school is a part of the Conroe Independent School District and serves the CISD portion of the city of Conroe, Cut and Shoot, and River Plantation....
on March 23, 2010. Fangraphs
Fangraphs
FanGraphs.com is a website run by Fangraphs Inc., located in Arlington, Virginia, and created and owned by David Appelman that provides statistics for every player in Major League Baseball history....
called Taillon the best high school pitching prospect since Josh Beckett
Josh Beckett
Joshua Patrick Beckett is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. During his career in the playoffs, he won the 2003 World Series MVP Award with the Florida Marlins, and received the 2007 ALCS MVP award with the Red Sox.-Florida Marlins :A...
. Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
compared him to pitchers like Stephen Strasburg
Stephen Strasburg
Stephen James Strasburg is a right-handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals, who selected him with the first pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft...
. Pirates general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Neal Huntington
Neal Huntington
Neal Alden Huntington is the 12th person to serve as General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball organization...
said of Taillon, "He has the stuff that allows you to envision down the road a top-of-the-rotation starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
."
As he was born in Florida and his parents were born in Canada, Taillon is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada and the highest draft pick ever taken from that nation.
Professional career
Taillon signed a National Letter of IntentNational Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
with Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
in November 2009 that posed a challenge to the Pirates in their effort to sign him. However, hours before the signing deadline, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
reported that Taillon had indeed signed with the Pirates. Baseball America's Jim Callis
Jim Callis
Jim Callis is the executive editor of the Durham, N.C.,-based magazine Baseball America and its website . Jim's contributions include weekly updates to their website, as well as major contributions to their signature publications, The Baseball America Almanac, and The Baseball America Prospect...
reported that Taillon's deal included a $6.5 million signing bonus, the 2nd highest in draft history.
Taillon will make his professional debut on April 27, 2011 with the Pirates' low-A affiliate, the West Virginia Power
West Virginia Power
This article is about the baseball team, for the electric utility serving southeast West Virginia from 1986-99, see Allegheny Energy.The West Virginia Power is a minor league baseball team of the South Atlantic League, and is the Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in...
. He joined the team on April 24 after staying in Florida for an extended spring training assignment. He is set to debut against the Hagerstown Suns
Hagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. They play in Municipal Stadium, which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 fans....
(affiliates of the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
) and Bryce Harper
Bryce Harper
Bryce Aron Max Harper is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Washington Nationals organization. Harper was selected by the Nationals with the first overall pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft...
, the only player to be picked ahead of him in the 2010 draft.