Last year, Taillon averaged over a strikeout per inning, but his record was pedestrian as the Pirates worked hard to limit his starts, so he rarely went deep enough into games to get a decision. His BABIP was a wee bit on the high side last year, so there’s a good chance his numbers were slightly inflated as a result. Taillon is a huge dude (6’6”, 225) for a kid that’s only 21, but his mechanics are solid – and better yet – repeatable. He can reach 98 mph with his fastball (with serious movement), but generally throws in the 94 to 96 mph range. Some think Taillon can be an ace, but if you bank on him being a stellar No. 2 and get more, call it gravy. Damn, I love gravy.