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Pittsburgh Pirates Suddenly Reliant on Young Pitching

By Nick Fustor |
Mar 5, 2016; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates Jameson Taillon (50) throws a pitch the third inning of the spring training game against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2016; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates Jameson Taillon (50) throws a pitch the third inning of the spring training game against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

In the midst of a rough stretch of games, the Pittsburgh Pirates received more bad news with an injury to ace Gerrit Cole.  Pittsburgh called up top prospect Jameson Taillon to take his place, and are suddenly reliant on young pitching to get the team back on track.

Entering the season, the Pirates looked to be one of the more complete teams in MLB with a star-studded outfield, deep infield and bonafide ace in Gerrit Cole.  While the Bucs were expected to be in a tight race with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals all season long, they quickly jumped to a fast start and grabbed a firm hold on second place over the Cardinals, who didn’t look in sync for much of the first two months of the season.

But now, stuck in third place with the Cards riding a hot streak and the Cubs with only 19 losses, the Pirates outlook for the rest of the season looks much more bleak.

That all changed when top prospect Jameson Taillon was called up to replace Cole after he was placed on the disabled list.

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June 14 brought the Pirates a mixed bag of news.  While Cole’s injury was unfortunate, it will likely wind up being minor enough that doesn’t it derail his season in a major way.  Taillon’s start, though, seemed to renew the confidence the Pirates they’ve held for much of the season.

Through six innings, Taillon didn’t allow a single hit while only walking one batter and striking out four.  If not for the fateful single in the seventh inning by Curtis Granderson, Taillon very well may have thrown a no-hitter and subsequently changed the narrative on the Pirates’ season.

While Taillon impressed in his second big league start, he didn’t come out of nowhere.

The 24-year-old has been atop prospect lists for the past several seasons for his high velocity and advanced approach on the mound.  Despite missing the 2014 and 2015 seasons after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, Taillon has looked better than ever in the minors this season.

In 10 Triple-A starts, Taillon has a 2.04 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP while only walking 0.88 batters per nine innings.  Taillon essentially has all of the makings of a future ace, as he strikes out plenty of batters, doesn’t walk many and limits opposing power hitters.  After making a start with the Pirates on June 8 against the New York Mets and going six innings while allowing only three runs, Taillon’s hype was confirmed.

Now, with Cole out for at least two weeks, Taillon will have an extended chance to make his mark in the big leagues – and fix the Pirates struggling pitching staff.

Outside of Cole – who owns a 2.77 ERA despite striking out less batters than season’s past – the Pirates rotation is filled with question marks.  The usually reliable Francisco Liriano has an ERA near five, with a FIP sitting at 5.51; while Jonathon Niese, Jeff Locke and Juan Nicasio have all looked lost on the mound.  The Pirates as a team rank 20th in MLB with a 4.26 ERA, while the Cubs sit in first with a 2.63 and Cardinals are in 15th with a 4.11.

Upon Cole’s return, it seems as if Taillon will have a permanent spot on the Pirates rotation going forward.  And assuming Liriano gets back on track sooner rather than later, that gives the Pirates three solid options in the rotation – which is simply not enough to compete with the Cubs and Cardinals.

Then, if they’re still struggling, the Bucs will likely need to turn to their top pitching prospect, Tyler Glasnow.

Whereas Taillon is seen as a future star, multiply that times ten to get a proper barometer on where scouts see Glasnow’s career going.  Standing at an imposing 6-foot-8, Glasnow possesses a mid-to-upper 90s fastball with a continually improving off speed selection.  The only thing that held him back from being called up during the 2015 playoff push was his control.

This season, Glasnow has a 1.90 ERA while striking out 10.9 batters per nine.  Despite a 4.56 BB/9, Glasnow has managed to consistently dominate in Triple-A with his overpowering delivery and ability to limit home runs.  A few more starts in Triple-A and a few more poor performances from Nicasio or Locke could have him up by the All-Star break.  Assuming he is promoted, the Pirates would need to monitor his innings, like any young pitcher, as he’s never thrown more than 124.1 in a season.

Nonetheless, inserting Taillon and Glasnow into the rotation suddenly makes things a lot more interesting for a Pirates team quickly descending into the shadow of the Cubs.

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While the Pirates could target a starter on the market in the coming month, they could be better off working from within and keeping their core of young talent together.  Although Glasnow is still an unknown, his ceiling is sky high, and at the very least, the Pirates will be able to rely on Taillon’s emergence to vault them back into the heat of the NL Central.

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