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

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

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for the

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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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

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) Am ...

. The Pirates chose Taillon as the second overall pick in the

2010 MLB draft The 2010 Major League Baseball draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team picking first. ;Key ...

, just behind future All-Star

Bryce Harper Bryce Aron Max Harper (born October 16, 1992) is an American professional baseball first baseman and right fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals. One o ...

. He made his MLB debut in 2016. The Pirates traded Taillon to the Yankees before the 2021 season and he signed with the Cubs after the 2022 season.

Early life

Jameson Taillon was born in

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Located along Interstate 4, I-4 east of Tampa and southwest of Orlando, Florida, Orlando, it is the List of municipalities in Florida, most populous city in Polk County. As of the 2020 ...

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

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

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. He caught the attention of

scouts Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...

with a 22–6

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in his high school career. He was 8–1 during his

senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

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 means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...

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

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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. Afte ...

(1999). ''

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'' compared him to pitchers like

Stephen Strasburg Stephen James Strasburg (; born July 20, 1988) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who spent his entire 13-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Washington Nationals. He is a three-time Major League Baseball All-Star G ...

. The

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

National Letter of Intent The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manag ...

with

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

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

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'' reported that Taillon had indeed signed with the Pirates. ''Baseball America''s Jim Callis reported that Taillon's deal included a $6.5 million

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

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against the

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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 the ...

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 ...

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

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. 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 19, 2013. This was the third iteration of the WBC, following the two previous tournaments, held in 2006 and 2009. Unlike the tw ...

for

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, 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 (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

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, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery 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 body, ...

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 portions ...

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 who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia Phi ...

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 professional baseball outfielder and manager who currently serves as both the interim bench and hitting coach for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball (MLB). Hurdle played ...

, 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 has previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros. Cole played for the bas ...

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 Ange ...

, 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 This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries. 0–9 0 :"Oh and ..." See count. 1 ...

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 pitched to a 3.20 ERA in 32 starts. He was 14–10 in 191 innings. He tied for the major league lead in complete games with two. 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 did not make an appearance in the 2020 season.

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 for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees and ...

Roansy Contreras Roansy Contreras (born November 7, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Angels. Career New Yo ...

, Maikol Escotto, and Canaan Smith-Njigba. 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 ...

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 double in the eighth inning.

Chicago Cubs (2022–present)

On December 19, 2022, Taillon signed a four-year deal worth $68 million with the

. Taillon appeared in 30 games in 2023, with 29 of them being starts. He went 8-10 with a 4.84 ERA and 140 strikeouts across 154.1 innings. On March 12, 2024, Cubs manager

Craig Counsell Craig John Counsell (born August 21, 1970) is an American former professional baseball infielder and current manager for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was previously the manager for the Milwaukee Brewers and holds the Br ...

informed reporters that Taillon would likely be starting the 2024 season on the injured list with lower back tightness. Taillon appeared in 28 games in 2024, went 12-8 with a 3.27 ERA and 125 strikeouts across 165.1 innings. On April 27, 2025, Tallion recorded his 1,000 strikeout against the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

when he struck out

Bryson Stott Bryson Jeremy Stott (born October 6, 1997) is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball at UNLV Rebels baseball, UNLV, and was selected by the Philli ...

in the top of the first inning.

Personal life

Taillon underwent surgery for testicular cancer on May 8, 2017. He had one testicle removed. As of 2019, he was cancer-free. 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 Twitch (service) streamers American sportspeople of Canadian descent Baseball players from Lakeland, Florida Baseball players from The Woodlands, Texas Bradenton Marauders players Canadian Twitch (service) streamers Canadian baseball players Chicago Cubs players Indianapolis Indians players Iowa Cubs players Major League Baseball pitchers New York Yankees players Pittsburgh Pirates players Scottsdale Scorpions players Tennessee Smokies players West Virginia Power players World Baseball Classic players of Canada 2013 World Baseball Classic players