Two of Pittsburgh's top pitching prospects Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow are almost ready for the major league level and look to contribute both this season and beyond.
With the arrival of Gerrit Cole three years ago came the start of a new era in Pittsburgh Pirates baseball. A top prospect in the minor league system, Cole has blossomed into the ace of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff leading the team in wins and ERA last season. In 2016, we could see the next generation of young talent the Pirates have to offer.
Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon are together in the Triple A Indianapolis rotation and are hungry for a spot on the major league team. While neither of these pitchers will make the team out of spring training, there is still ample opportunity for the duo to make their major league debuts in 2016. If guys like Ryan Vogelsong and Jeff Locke struggle, the young talent could be called into action to help the team win some big games.
Glasnow brings a fire ball mentality and the ability to limit the amount of runs he allows. Last season, through three levels of the Pirates organization, Glasnow posted a 7-5 record with a 2.39 ERA. His most impressive numbers come in his limited time with Triple A Indianapolis where he posted a 2-1 record with a 2.20 ERA. Glasnow continues to succeed as he progresses through each level of the minor leagues, and he does not show any signs of slowing down in 2016.
A big part of Glasnow's game is his ability to strike out opposing hitters. Last season in total he struck out 136 batters in 109.1 innings of work. His strikeout per nine inning was an astounding 11.20 last season. I doubt he will keep striking out batters at that rate at the big league level, but if he can prove to be a fire baller it will help the Pirates tremendously in the future. As of right now the Pirates only have two strikeout pitchers in the rotation, If they could add Glasnow half way through the season, it would bulster their rotation for the better and make them a much tougher competitor in 2016.
Another plus to Glasnow's game is his low walk percentage. In those 109.1 innings of work last year, Glasnow only walked 43 batters. His walk per nine inning ratio was a 3.54 last season. This is pretty good for a professional pitcher and if his control stays where it has been in the past, it will be another big asset for this Pirates team.
A downside to Glasnow is that he does not field his position particularly well. Last season he committed three errors in 15 chances. While being a good fielding pitcher isnt an essential but it is a nice thing to have on the mound. Glasnow is a very promising pitcher who could do a lot of good things for this Pirates team.
On the other hand, Jameson Taillon's development has been slowed by injury over the last two seasons. He was drafted number two overall in the 2010 draft. Taillon and Cole were on the same track in their development and were all set to come up to the big leagues at the same time. However, Taillon needed Tommy John Surgery after the 2013 season and last year he suffered through a number of injuries that made him miss the entire season.
His last year pitching in pro baseball was 2013 when he posted a 5-10 record with a 3.73 ERA for Triple A Indianapolis and Double A Altoona. Taillon is proned to giving up a lot of hits as that year he gave up 352 hits in 382 innings of work. The young right hander has posted an ERA up around 3.50 for most of his career. If he can get the number of hits he allows down this ERA will drop with it as well.
While Taillon does not have the strikeout ability that Glasnow has, he still managed to strikeout 143 batters in 147 innings of work. Taillon is more of a finesse pitcher and tries to get you to put the ball in play. Taillon had a hits per nine inning of 8.24 last season. For a starting pitcher that is a high number of hits to be allowing. If Taillon can work at using the corners more and throwing pitches by people, he would be much better off.
Out of the two, Taillon is clearly the better defender. He posted 0 errors in 15 chances during the 2013 season and made all the plays he had to from the mound. If you have a pitcher who also has the ability to play defense, it helps out tremendously in the field and allows for the fielders to focus on their position alone.
In 2016, we could see both of these pitchers make their major league debuts. Both players bring a certain skill set that will benefit the Pirates both now and in the long-term future. The pitching rotation for the Pirates could be better than anyone in years to come if Taillon and Glasnow can pitch to their potential. With all of these young prospects ready to come up, it is an exciting time to be a Pirates fan. We can just sit back and watch how these young players develop and grow into the young players that will help the Pirates for many years to come.
The only flag on Glasnow is the 22 walks he allowed in 41 IP in AAA last season. Could've been jitters or that players aren't swinging at his out-of-the-zone pitches in the higher level. Could be the one thing that keeps him in AAA next season and/or be an issue the persists and prevents him from being a #1-2 caliber pitcher.
ReplyDeleteHe is, however, great at limiting HRs, as he's only allowed 18 in 402.2 IP (or, one HR per 23 IP). Underrated stat that isn't mentioned much, IMO.