Jameson Taillon, RHP, was a 2010 graduate of the 5A The Woodlands Highlanders. In his senior year, Taillon was 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA and 114 K’s in 62.2 innings while holding opposing batters to a .177 batting average. He had a 19 strikeout no-hitter in a district game against Conroe. He was selected as a First Team All-State Pitcher and was named the 2010 Gatorade Texas Player of the Year. He was also named an All-USA Today Player of the Year. He was taken with the 2nd Pick in the 2010 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Taillon was very busy in the 2009 summer before his senior season. He was chosen to play in the Under Armour All-American Game and the Aflac All-American Classic. In the Fall, he was chosen to play for the USA Baseball 2009 18U National Team. That team went 8-0 at the COPABE Pan AM Junior Championships in Venezuela to win the Gold Medal. Taillon was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 13.2 innings in the Championships.
Taillon had signed a National Letter of Intent to go to Rice University but chose to sign with the Pirates which included a $6.5 million signing bonus, the second-highest in draft history at that time. After 3 years in the minors, Taillon underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 causing him to miss all the 2014 season. A sports hernia caused him to miss the 2015 season.
Taillon returned in 2016 to the AAA Indianapolis Indians where he made 10 starts before earning his first major call-up with the Pirates on June 8. In his major league debut, Taillon pitched 6 innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts with a no-decision in a 6-5 loss against the New York Mets. He ended up with 18 starts that season with the Pirates compiling a 5-4 record with a 3.38 ERA and 85 Strikeouts.
Taillon started the 2017 season in the Pirates’ starting rotation. He underwent surgery for testicular cancer in May but returned to action in June. In 25 starts, he compiled an 8-7 record with a 4.44 ERA and 125 Strikeouts. Taillon pitched the 2018 season without being injured and in 32 starts was 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA and 179 Ks and was considered the ace of the Pirates pitching staff.
In 2019, Taillon’s season was cut short after only 7 starts due to a forearm injury. On August 14 he underwent his second Tommy John surgery. He will likely miss all of the 2020 season.
In 4 seasons with the Pirates he has a career record of 29-24 with a 3.67 ERA and 419 Strikeouts.
The complete 20 member THSB All-Decade Team can be found in the 2020 Preseason THSB Magazine.
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