The Pirates’ first rounder from 2010 is still only 22, so we maintain our belief in him as a top 10 prospect despite this setback which derails any value he might have had this year. Now, we’ll have to wait until 2015 before this talented hurler is unleashed on the majors. This kid has the potential to average better than a strikeout per inning, and the valuable experience he accrued at Double-A last year should allow him to hit the ground running as soon as he’s healthy. Taillon hasn’t put together impressive won-loss records in the minors, but we’re not worried. A mid-season Eastern League All-Star last year, he really helped alleviate our worries about home run issues last year — and that was the one weakness he had. Every other part of the towering 6’6″ righty’s game should translate well into the bigs when he arrives.

Sure enough, he spent the entire 2013 season at High-A before being promoted to Double-A this year. Early on this season, Sanchez is dealing with some wildness (26 walks, four hit batsmen and one wild pitch in 43 1/3 IP), but it has not hurt his bottom line results — yet. The righty is Toronto’s top prospect and while he dealt with some shoulder woes last year, he’s generally remained healthy as a pro. Sanchez could be a top of the rotation hurler, but he’ll need to sharpen that command along the way. His record at High-A wasn’t great in 20 starts and a low BABIP (.250) suggests a bit of luck was involved in keeping his ERA below 3.50. Sanchez’s K rate dipped in the AFL (although he made the All-Prospect Team), and so far this year, he’s benefited from a pretty high strand rate. Don’t be fooled by that very low ERA at Double-A as so far his peripherals don’t support it. In a nutshell, we love Sanchez’s K potential (he’s averaged over one per inning), but that control (4.7 BB/9 in his career) needs fixing. He has a perfect pitcher’s build (6’4″, 200).