Jameson Lee Taillon ( ; born November 18, 1991) is a Canadian-American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...

for the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

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(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. The Pirates chose Taillon as the second overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2016. The Pirates traded Taillon to the Yankees before the 2021 season and signed with the Cubs after the 2022 season.

Early life

Jameson Taillon was born in

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal ci ...

to Christie and Michael Taillon on November 18, 1991. Taillon attended

The Woodlands High School The Woodlands High School is a public high school in The Woodlands CDP, in unincorporated Montgomery County, Texas and is a part of the Conroe Independent School District. Some of the Montgomery County portion of The Woodlands and a portion of ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. He caught the attention of

scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpack ...

with a 22–6

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of matc ...

in his high school career. He was 8–1 during his senior year and threw a 19-

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

no-hitter against rival

Conroe High School Conroe High School is a secondary school in Conroe, Texas. The school is a part of the Conroe Independent School District and serves most of the city of Conroe as well as portions of unincorporated Montgomery County, including the community of ...

on March 23, 2010.

Professional career

Minor league career

Prior to the 2010 MLB draft, Fangraphs called Taillon the best high school pitching prospect since

Josh Beckett Joshua Patrick Beckett (born May 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A three-time MLB All-Star, he played for the Florida Marlins, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. After ...

(1999). ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' compared him to pitchers like

Stephen Strasburg Stephen James Strasburg (; born July 20, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Strasburg was selected by Washington with the first overall pick in the 2009 Major League ...

. The

selected Taillon with the second overall selection of the draft. He had signed a

National Letter of Intent National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

with

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

in November 2009 posing a challenge to the Pirates in their effort to sign him. However, hours before the signing deadline, the ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...

'' reported that Taillon had indeed signed with the Pirates. ''Baseball America''s

Jim Callis Jim Callis (born October 15, 1967) is a baseball writer who currently covers the MLB Draft and prospects for MLB Pipeline and MLB.com. He was formerly the executive editor of the Durham, North Carolina-based magazine '' Baseball America'' and i ...

reported that Taillon's deal included a $6.5 million

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

, the second-highest in draft history. Taillon made his professional debut with the

West Virginia Power The Charleston Dirty Birds are an American professional baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They are a member of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a partner league of Major League Baseball. The Dir ...

against the

Hagerstown Suns The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home g ...

on April 27, 2011. He joined the team on April 24 after staying in Florida for an extended spring training assignment. He spent the whole season with the Power, going 2–3 with a 3.98

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) in 23 starts. Taillon was named to appear in the 2012

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League ...

. He began the season with the

Bradenton Marauders The Bradenton Marauders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Bradenton, Florida, and play their home games at LECOM Park, which also serves as th ...

and he was promoted to the

Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a Minor League Baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve (but also alluding to the curveball, a type of pitch). The team plays in the Eastern League and is the Double-A affiliate of the ...

in August 2012. In his first week with the Curve, August 20–26, 2012, Taillon was named the Eastern League pitcher of the week. In 26 starts between the two teams, he was 9–8 with a 3.55 ERA. Prior to the 2013 season, Taillon was ranked as the 15th best prospect in baseball by

MLB.com MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...

. Taillon participated in the

2013 World Baseball Classic The 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, held from March 2 to March 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009. Unlike ...

for Team Canada, being the youngest member of the team at age 21. He began the season with Altoona and was promoted to the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...

in August. In 26 games (25 starts) between both clubs, Taillon compiled a 5–10 record and 3.73 ERA. Taillon underwent

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...

in April 2014 to repair damage to the

ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspect of the elbow uniting the distal aspect of the humerus to the proximal aspect of the ulna. Structure It consists of two portion ...

in his throwing arm, costing him the 2014 season. A hernia surgery caused him to miss the 2015 season.

Pittsburgh Pirates (2016–2020)

Taillon returned in 2016 with the Pirates, where he made 10 starts before earning his first major league call-up. Taillon went 4–2 with a 2.04 ERA, striking out 61 in 61.2 innings and walking only 6. On June 8, Taillon was recalled to make a spot start with the Pirates, who decided to push back

Francisco Liriano Francisco Liriano Casillas (born October 26, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, ...

's start one day after they played a doubleheader the day before. Facing off against fellow 2010 first rounder

Noah Syndergaard Noah Seth Syndergaard (born August 29, 1992), nicknamed "Thor", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels an ...

in his debut, Taillon threw 6 innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts, not receiving a decision in the eventual 6–5 loss. After the game, Taillon was optioned back to Triple-A, but not without receiving compliments from his manager,

Clint Hurdle Clinton Merrick Hurdle (born July 30, 1957) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and manager. Hurdle played for the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals, and managed the Colorado Rock ...

, on his effort, saying, "This kid's poured into everything he's done. It's been a great fight back." However, his stay in Indianapolis was very brief, as an injury to

Gerrit Cole Gerrit Alan Cole (born September 8, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros. Cole played for the baseball team ...

necessitated a move to bring Taillon back into the rotation. On June 14, Taillon made his second start, also against the Mets, throwing 8 scoreless innings, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh before it was broken up by

Curtis Granderson Curtis Granderson Jr. (born March 16, 1981), nicknamed the "Grandyman", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Ang ...

, and recording his first win in the 4–0 victory. In July, he was hit in the head by a batted ball. Taillon spent the remainder of 2016 with Pittsburgh. In 18 starts, he compiled a 5–4 record and a 3.38 ERA. Taillon was in the Pirates'

starting rotation R rabbit ears :Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...

in 2017. He was placed on the disabled list in May as he underwent surgery for testicular cancer. Taillon made his first rehabilitation start three weeks later, giving up one run in three innings. He returned to the mound for the Pirates on June 12. In 25 starts during the 2017 season, he pitched to an 8–7 record and 4.44 ERA. In the 2018 season, Taillon spent the entire season on the roster without being injured, pitching to a 3.20 ERA in 32 starts. He was 14–10 in 191 innings. In 2019, Taillon's season was cut short due to a forearm injury. He was shut down for the remainder of the season on August 2, 2019; he was 2–3 with a 4.10 ERA in 7 starts. On August 14, he underwent surgery to repair a flexor tendon as well as UCL revision. Taillon missed all of 2020 as well.

New York Yankees (2021–2022)

On January 24, 2021, the Pirates traded Taillon to the

for prospects

Miguel Yajure Miguel Angel Yajure (born May 1, 1998) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher in the San Francisco Giants organization. Yajure signed with the New York Yankees as an international free agent in 2015. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees ...

Roansy Contreras Roansy Contreras (born November 7, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Career New York Yankees Contreras signed with the Yankees as an inter ...

, Maikol Escotto, and

Canaan Smith-Njigba Canaan Elijah Smith-Njigba (born April 30, 1999) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022. Amateur career Smith-Njigba attended Rockwall-Heath High S ...

. He was named the American League

Pitcher of the Month In Major League Baseball (MLB), the Pitcher of the Month Award is given monthly during the regular season to two outstanding pitchers, one each in the National League (NL) and American League (AL). The NL began awarding the honor in , and the A ...

in July, posting a 1.16 ERA. He finished the 2021 season with an 8–6 record in 29 starts with a 4.30 ERA and 140 strikeouts in innings. On June 2, 2022, Taillon pitched seven perfect innings against the Los Angeles Angels. This bid was broken up by a

Jared Walsh Jared James Walsh (born July 30, 1993) is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Walsh was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin and later moved to Georgia where he atte ...

double in the eighth inning.

Chicago Cubs

On December 19, 2022, Taillon signed a four-year deal with the

Personal life

Taillon underwent surgery for testicular cancer on May 8, 2017. He had one testicle removed. As of 2019, he was cancer-free. Although he was born in the United States, Taillon's parents are Canadian, and he holds citizenship in both countries.

References

External links

Video of Taillon's pro debut for the West Virginia Power in 2011
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Taillon, Jameson 1991 births Living people Altoona Curve players American people of Canadian descent Baseball players from Florida Baseball players from Texas Bradenton Marauders players Canadian baseball players Indianapolis Indians players Major League Baseball pitchers New York Yankees players People from The Woodlands, Texas Pittsburgh Pirates players Scottsdale Scorpions players Sportspeople from Harris County, Texas Sportspeople from Lakeland, Florida Twitch (service) streamers West Virginia Power players World Baseball Classic players of Canada 2013 World Baseball Classic players