Jameson taillon

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees beat the Tigers 4-2, but it wasn’t pretty

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New York Yankees, Rob Brantly

The New York Yankees took a short bus ride northeast to Lakeland, Florida, to play the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. The game was played under partly cloudy skies but with a nice 80-degree game-time temperature. The Yankee starter was Jameson Taillon in his second start of the season. He faced Julio Teheran of the Tigers. The Yankees again used their “B” lineup, which uncharacteristically had more lefties than righties. The Yankees won the game 4-2. It was a tedious game to watch as the Yankee pitching was subpar, to say the least.

Teheran faced Brett Gardner leading off for the Yankees. Gardner was in my “Spotlight” article for having the Yankee’s highest OPS (on-base percentage + slugging). In his first at-bat today, he gound out. Gary Sanchez struck out, and Jay Bruce singled to left. Clint Frazier finished off the half by striking out. Taillon first faced Robbie Grossman, and he walked. Candelario flew out, Castro ground into a force-out, and Cabrera flew out for the last out of the inning. No score.

At the second, Darren Dietrich moved to first after being hit by a pitch. Kyle Higashioka singled, moving Dietrich to second. Mike Tauchman singled, loading the bases with Yankees with no outs. Thairo Estrada grounded into a forceout, Dietrich caught at home plate.  Tyler Wade had a sac fly out, allowing Higgy to score, Brett, singled, and Tauchman scored. Gary Sanchez ground out to end the half, but the Yankees got on the board. Taillon, in his second inning of work he got Goodrum to strikeout. Ramos doubled, Paredes flew out, Reyes walked, and Jones struck out. Yankees 2 Tigers 0.

Jay Bruce led off for the Yankees at the top of the third by walking. Clint Frazier grounded into a double play, two outs. Dietrich struck out to end the half. Taillon out for the third walked Grossman. Candelario singled, two on no outs. Castro struck out, Cabrera reached on a Jay Bruce throwing error loading the bases. Goodrum struck out. The Yankees took Taillon out of the game, replacing him with Addison Russ, who got Ramos to ground out and allow the Yankees to get out of the inning, giving up no runs.  Yankees 2 Tigers 0.

At the top of the fourth, Higgy faced Jose Urena and ground out. Tauchman lined out, and Estrada flew for a quick inning for Urena. Nick Goody was out for the Yankees in the bottom of the frame. Paredes ground out, Reyes flew out, and Jones ground out for an easy inning for Goody. Yankees 2 Tigers 0.

Tyler Wade led off the fifth, striking out swinging. Brett Gardner ground out, and Gary Sanchez ground out, giving Urena his second 1-2-3 inning. Albert Abreu replaced Goody in the bottom. Grossman flew out, Candelario doubled, Nunez pinch-running. Castro singled driving in a Nunez. Goodrum ended the inning, but the Tigers got on the board. Yankees 2 Tigers 1.

Urena on the mound again. Jay Bruce ground out, Frazier flew out, and Dietrich flew out, giving Urena his third 1-2-3 inning in a row in quite a pitching display. Kyle Barraclough on the mound for the New York Yankees. Ramos flew out, Paredes walked, Greene walked, Baddoo walks, as Barraclough walked the bases full. Haase struck out, and Nunez ground out, allowing Barraclough to get out of an incredible jam. Yankees 2 Tigers 1.

Derek Holland started the seventh. Higashioka struck out swinging, Tauchman struck out swinging, Estrada closed out the half. Nestor Cortes Jr. took on the pitching in the bottom of the frame. Castro flew out, Cameron struck out, and Torkelson was called out on strikes. Yankees 2 Tigers 1.

Hoy Jun Park led off for the Yankees; he struck out, getting 3 balls then 3 strikes in a row. Amburgey walked, Rob Brantly homered in two runs for the Yankees. Gittens walked, Michael Beltre hit into a double play, but the Yankees tacked on 2 more runs. Tyler Lyons handled the bottom of the eighth. Rogers singled, Clemens struck out, Greene ground out, and Baddoo ground out to end the inning. Yankees 4 Tigers 1.

Ezequiel Duran singled in the ninth. Austin Wells grounded out but Duran moved to second. Thomas Milone struck out swinging, and Armando Alvarez followed with a strikeout. With last licks on the line, the Tigers took to the bottom of the ninth with Brooks Kriske on the mound, trying to close it out for the New York Yankees. Haase walked as Kriske was all over the place. Then he hit Nunez with a pitch. Two on no outs. Castro doubled driving in Haase. Cameron struck out, two outs. Torkelson flew out to end the game Yankees 4 Tigers 2.

The Yankee starter Jameson Taillon from the start did not have good control of his pitches; he had as many balls as strikes. However, he got out of the game without giving up a run. He only gave up two hits, but he walked three batters. Albert Abreu had his second poor outing. He has now given up six runs in 2.2 innings on the mound. His ERA is now 27.00. Barraclough walked the bases full. All in all, the Yankee’s pitching was not up to par. The photo accompanying the article is Rob Brantly who homered and drove in two runs for the Yankees.

The standout in the game was the Tiger pitcher Jose Urena who had three 1-2-3 innings in a row.

 

 

 

New York Yankees: Jameson Taillon on the road to a comeback

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New York Yankees, Jameson Taillon

The New York Yankees this past Saturday got their first look at Jameson Taillon in a starting role for the team. For Taillon, it was a 47 mile trip down memory lane. He was traveling south on Interstate 75 to LECOM Park, his old training ground when he pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates. That was then and this is now, that day he was doing it in Yankee pinstripes for the first time to face his former team. The Yankees were happy with what they saw in his two-inning start.

He pitched two scoreless innings for the Yankees. Earlier he pitched one inning of relief. In his two games, he has not allowed a run while striking out five across three innings of work. It’s a small sample but it is encouraging. Taillon was traded to the Yankees for four decent prospects late in the offseason. The Yankees took a risk on a pitcher that has had two Tommy John surgeries, but so far he looks healthy. At the best the Yankees hope he is an ace in the making, at the worst, they hope he can adequately replace the departed Masahiro Tanaka.

Taillon could be a big boost to the New York Yankees rotation and probably will start in the number 3 spot behind Gerrit Cole and Corey Kluber. Taillon brings another look to the rotation with an entirely different pitching style. If successful, it could give the Yankees a one, two, three punch at the top of the rotation that opponents will fear. In 2019, he relied primarily on his Slider (89mph), Fourseam Fastball (95mph), and Sinker (95mph), also mixing in a Curve (83mph) and Change (89mph). … His curve is much harder than usual and has a sharp downward bite—Taillon’s pitching results in many ground balls that fit Yankee Stadium nicely.

Frustrated by a second Tommy John surgery, the Yankees’ newest starter worked with a “village” of experts to revamp his delivery. He is ready to display it on day one with the New York Yankees. Let’s look at the journey that has led him to the Yankees.

Jameson Lee Taillon is 29 years old, born on November 18, 1991. He is a Canadian/American citizen, but he was born in Lakeland, Florida. His family moved to Texas, where the tall young man attended Woodlands High School in Woodland. He played baseball for the Highlanders. It was there that he got the attention of Pittsburgh Pirates scouts with his 22-6 record. In his senior year at Woodland, he threw a no-hitter, striking out 19 hitters. His 2010 senior record was 8-1.

Out of high school, Taillon signed a letter of intent to attend college but was drafted in the Pirates’ in the first round. Just hours before the deadline, he did choose the Pirates over Rice University for a $6.5 million signing bonus, the second-highest bonus in draft history at the time. Taillon made his professional debut on April 27, 2011. He joined the team on April 24 after staying in Florida for an extended spring training assignment. He spent the season with the West Virginia Power, going 2–3 with a 3.98 ERA in 23 starts.

Taillon was named to appear in the 2012All-Star Futures Game. He started the 2012 season with the Marauders but was quickly promoted to the Altoona Curve. In August, he 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. He was promoted to the Indianapolis Indians, but after the season, he had his first Tommy John surgery to repair a UCL of the elbow, causing him to miss the entire 2014 season. He also missed the 2015 season with a sports hernia.

During 2016 Taillon spent his time between the Pirates and the minors going back and forth. He made his Major League Debut after 10 starts in the minors. Taillon went 4–2 with a 2.04 ERA, striking out 61 in 61.2 innings and walking only 6. In another Pirate’s start, he faced Noah Syndergaard; 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. In his second start against the Mets, he threw 8 scoreless innings, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh before former Yankees Curtis Granderson broke it up, recording his first win in the 4–0 victory. He spent the remainder of 2016 with Pittsburgh. In 18 starts, he compiled a 5–4 record and 3.38 ERA.

In 2017 he was in the Pirate’s starting rotation, but he underwent surgery for testicular cancer in May. After just a few weeks, he was back with the club and finished the season with 25 starts; he had an 8–7 record and 4.44 ERA. He pitched the entire 2018 season uninjured with a 3.20 ERA in 32 starts. His 2019 season was cut short when he required his second Tommy John surgery. He did not pitch in 2020 while rehabbing.

New York Yankees General manager Brian Cashman has a history of taking chances on previously injured players, as he has already done with Corey Kluber. In a worst-case scenario, both of these pitchers will be average pitchers, but there is also an excellent chance that they excel for the Yankees and prove their worth with minor investment.  This will give the Yankees a whole season to evaluate Domingo German and Luis Severino’s returning pitchers and further develop prospects Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, and Michael King.

At just 29 years old, Taillon is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound pitcher. He primarily utilizes a fastball that can top out at 98 mph, sinker, slider, and a circle curveball. He gets an impressive 50% ground ball rate, which plays well at Yankee Stadium. Taillon is not the pitcher in 2019; he has developed a new delivery to take the strain off his arm by using his hip more efficiently in his delivery.

“I kind of had like a coming-to-grips moment where I said, ‘My current set of mechanics and what I’m doing isn’t working,’” he said in a conference call with reporters. “That’s just the cold, hard truth. I need to change something or else my career is going to be over.”

Taillon has accomplished that working with the training staff, coaches, and a visit to the Florida Baseball Ranch, a facility in Lakeland, Fla., that uses diagnostics to improve health and performance. Over time, the pitcher refashioned his windup and delivery. Taillon declared that he was healthy and would be ready for spring training, whenever it starts. He has been throwing off a mound with the goal of preparation, not rehabilitation.

Taillon said that he now had more spin on his fastball and that his cut fastball had evolved into more of a true slider. He still relies on a sloping curveball, having discovered a comfortable grip on his evolving changeup, which gives him the potential for at least five pitches. Taillon has the ability to become a true ace. The New York Yankees have control of him through the 2022 season.

New York Yankees: Kluber, Taillon, German, Medina and more pitching thoughts

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The New York Yankees and the YES Network are fortunate to have “Mr. Perfect,” David Cone on their staff commenting on the games, pitchers, and hitters. Cone had one of the Yankees’ perfect games on July 18, 1999. He is one of the most knowledgeable pitching authorities in all of baseball.

Cone has on his resume a 17-year pitching career, with an ERA of 3.46. He spent the best years of his career with the New York Yankees. He has a lifetime WAR of 62.4. He had two 20 game wins and was a five-time Cy Young Award nominee, winning it in 1994. Over the weekend, he spoke by phone to NJ.com’s Brendon Kuty about spring training and his thoughts on the Yankee pitchers.

Corey Kluber:

Kluber became a Yankee just after the Yankees re-signed batting champ DJ LeMahieu. The Yankees gave him an $11 million on a year deal, taking on the risk of a pitcher that had a 2019 season that was cut short after he got hit with a comebacker. In 2020 he pitched only one inning after suffering a shoulder injury. But so far in spring training, he looks Cy Young sharp.

“He’s not babying it,” Cone said. “He’s not being tentative. It’s like he’s got confidence in his stuff because it’s snapping again. “That slider … when he was at the top of the game, he had one of the world’s best sliders. It had it’s own name, ‘The Kluber Slider.’ People wanted that pitch and it looked like it was snapping. It looked good (Wednesday).”

Jameson Taillon:

David Cone admires Taillon, sighting his background and what he has been through. Taillon is another pitcher that hasn’t pitched in the past two years and is returning from his second Tommy John surgery. During the offseason, Taillon made several changes to his delivery to protect his arm, and so far, those changes are paying off. Cone had this to say:

“I can’t help but admire somebody like him, the way he handles himself. But the stuff, too, is exciting. His curveball is for real. It’s got real depth to it. He’s got that swing-and-miss stuff that you love to see from a starting pitcher.”

Domino German:

Domingo German in 2019 went 18-4 before he was suspended for a domestic violence issue. He missed the last games of the regular season and the entire postseason. While serving out his suspension, he didn’t pitch at all in the short 2020 season. A remorseful German has apparently convinced the Yankees that he is a changed man and ready to get back into the game.

In his outing last week, German was near perfect, pitching two innings while allowing only 1 single and no walks. He struck out 4 hitters; that’s 18 per nine innings. Cone gave his thoughts on who would be the fifth starter.

“In terms of the overall picture, who’s more established, who has options left, the status of their development, how far along are they … it almost seems as if that gives (Domingo) German the leg up right now, just in terms of those things, aside from all the off-the-field stuff, obviously.”

Luis Medina and New York Yankee depth:

Cone spoke about the Yankee pitching depth that allowed them to take chances on Kluber and Taillon’s likes, saying if the Yankees have problems, they have many capable arms to rely on. He spoke specifically on Luis Medina, a fireballer coming up through the ranks.

Just from what I’ve seen on video, Luis Medina. To see him do what he did in winter ball and the type of stuff he had, how polished he already looks, it’s easy to get excited about somebody like him. Not just his fastball, but his feel for his secondary pitches.

Yankees to play the Detroit Tigers today

The New York Yankees will play the Detroit Tigers today at Lakeland, Florida, northeast of the Yankee’s home. Deivi Garcia will get his second start of spring training. Garcia is the one pitcher that has really struggled. In his first game, he gave up two runs in as many innings. He will face the Tiger’s Spencer Turnbull in the 1 pm game that will not be televised. Garcia is hoping for a quick bounceback.

New York Yankees: Schmidt injury update, Taillon shows off, Yankees to face the Phillies, and more

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New York Yankees, Zack Britton

At the start of New York Yankee‘s spring training prospect, Clarke Schmidt had a common extensor strain. Schmidt is just one of several young pitchers contending for the fifth spot in the Yankees pitching rotation. When you have extensor tendonitis in your hands, it’s usually due to excessive use of the tendons in a short amount of time or sports or other activities that use the wrists. Schmidt is coming along but is not yet ready to start throwing. Saturday, when Boone was asked about it, he had this to say:

“Actually saw him before I walked out,” Boone said before a 3-2 loss to the Pirates at LECOM Park. “He’s doing well. He’s in Day 15 or Day 16 of no throw. He’s made steady progress as we’ve checked in with him. It’s kind of been better each and every day. But he’s still at least another week before he starts throwing. At least three weeks but then completely asymptomatic, range of motion, strength, all of those things are coming back the way it should, but he’s still probably a week from throwing.”

Jameson Taillon isn’t perfect, but jam, no problem

In yesterday’s loss to the Pirates, Jameson Taillon showed his old team what they already knew; he can get out of a jam. Taillon came over to the New York Yankees in a trade with his old Pittsburgh team. He was the starter for the Yankees yesterday, and he showed off his stuff.

Taillon first faced Dustin Fowler, who he struck out on four pitches. Bryan Reynolds also stuck out. Colin Moran lined out sharply to left fielder Dietrich. Taillon continued his excellent play from March 1, when he struck out the side in his Yankee debut.

Out for the second Taillion ex-Yankee Todd Frazier, who managed a single. Gregory Polanco also singled. For the first time, this season Taillon had two runners on base. Erik Gonzalez popped out. Anthony Alford struck out, and Michael Perez walked, loading the bases. Kevin Kramer closed out the inning for Taillon by striking out. Taillon worked out of trouble and has not allowed a run in spring training.

Zack Britton be COVID cautious

Zack Britton an essential part of late-inning relief for the New York Yankees. He may find himself taking on an even bigger part this season, closing more games as manager Aaron Boone mixes and matches. Britton managed to escape the coronavirus during last season. Many fans don’t know that he contracted a pretty bad case of the disease in mid-January. He said it hit him pretty hard.

“Physically, I’m all good now but trying to be smart,’’ Britton said.

Because of his earlier infection, he takes all the precautions as he builds back up his strength. The left-hander has participated in drills with teammates but hasn’t thrown off a mound since last Saturday. The Yankees will be slow with him, but Aaron Boone says he will be ready for opening day on April 1. Boone will watch the innings pitched by Britton and all the pitchers as they prepare for a 162 game season after having just 60 games last season.

Yankees face the Phillies today at 1 pm

After a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday, the New York Yankees are back at home today at George M. Steinbrenner Field in St. Pete. The Yankees have a 1 pm game facing the Philadelphia Phillies. The game will be televised on the YES Network. It should be a pretty nice day for a baseball game. The temperature throughout the game should be hovering around 70 under sunny skies, but there will be a relatively stiff breeze from the northeast to contend with.

Jordan Montgomery who won his first game of spring training will be starting for the Yankees. Zack Wheeler will be on the mound for the Phillies. There is some info that Cole is starting, but with spring training we will have to wait and see.

 

Yankees’ Jameson Taillon details the key to his dominance against Pittsburgh

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New York Yankees, Jameson Taillon

The New York Yankees took on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday afternoon, falling 2-3 in the rain. However, they got a nice look at starting pitching acquisition Jameson Taillon.

Taillon hadn’t pitched since 2019 when he lasted just 37.1 innings before undergoing Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. He was teammates with Gerrit Cole for quite some time in Pittsburgh, who advocated for his quality, which ultimately convinced GM Brian Cashman to target him during the off-season.

Cole was expected to pitch against the Pirates, but due to the rain, he settled for a live BP session instead. Taillon ended up starting, getting in 2.0 innings of work and picking up four strikeouts in the process.

“Yeah, I thought it was good work, I’m happy we got the game in, I wasn’t so sure with the rain,” Taillon said. “That first start being only seven pitches, there’s some things I haven’t experienced in a couple years. Like in-game situations, runners on, holding running, mixing my tempo, mixing my looks to second with a runner there. Even the little things like going through sign packages with the catcher, that’s a situation I haven’t been in a while. So I was actually pretty happy to get put in that spot, and put in a spot where I had to make some pitchers with traffic on.”

The Yankees are hoping Taillon can continue improving, and he’s already starting to gain momentum:

Taillon has begun experimenting with different pitch sequences and strategies. He has incorporated more leg into his delivery, which will hopefully mitigate any future arm injuries. Having already suffered two Tommy John surgeries, Taillon is trying everything to avoid the potential for a third. By using more of his lower body, he can take significant stress off his arm.

“We’re still in the information gathering stages, but for sure I’ve noticed pitching up in the zone to both side of the plate,” Taillon said. “I used to pitch up to lefties a good amount, but righties I was like sinkers in, and I would just throw my four-seam down and away. But like I got a strikeout today on a four-seam up in the top of zone. For me that’s really exciting, because it’s a pitch in the past I’ve just never put a ton of emphasis on.”

Back in 2018, Jameson pitched 191 innings and recorded a 3.20 ERA. If he can replicate that performance and pitch even better, the Yankees will have a fantastic starting rotation composed of Cole, Corey Kluber, Taillon, Jordan Montgomery, and potentially Domingo German.

New York Yankees Analysis: Major takeaways from the first week of spring training

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Baseball has been relatively kind to the New York Yankees so far in spring training. Two big things are prominent, the Yankees have no major injuries to key players, and the pitching of pitchers that have not pitched in awhile has been better than good. At this point in spring training, which is only a week old, things look pretty good for the Yankees. The Miami Marlins lead the pack so far with a 4-1 record, the Yankees are in the middle of the pack with a 3-3 record. But the bottom line is that wins are irrelevant in spring training; it’s all about evaluating the players for the regular season and building up the players to take on a 162 game season.

Here’s a look at the Yankees’ spring training so far; keep in mind that this is just a tiny sample.

Domingo German:

Domingo German has only started one game in spring training, but he looked outstanding in his two innings pitched. He didn’t allow a run and had only one hit, with no walks and 4 strikeouts, that 18 strikeouts per nine innings. So far, of all Yankees pitchers, he looks the best. Before his suspension, he was 18-4 during the 2019 season. It’s early, but so far for the New York Yankees, German looks very encouraging.

Corey Kluber:

Kluber has only pitched one inning in the past two years but is a 2 time Cy Young Award winner. If he can return to his previous form, the Yankees have another ace on their hands. Kluber seems healthy, and in his two innings, he looked good, allowing no runs while striking out 3 hitters. He also has not allowed a hit.  Although the sample is small, this is another encouraging sign for the Yankees.

Jameson Taillon:

Taillon is coming back from his second Tommy John surgery. The Yankees picked him up in a trade with the Pirates. So far this season, he pitched in relief in one game, and for an inning, he allowed no runs; he faced three batters striking out one. Yesterday he had his first start in the first inning; he put away the Pirates. In the second inning, he had a good test; he allowed two singles and walked the bases full. Taillon worked out of trouble and has not allowed a run in spring training.

Gerrit Cole:

Gerrit Cole so far has not started the season as he would have wished. Cole has not been allowed to pitch to his personal catcher in spring training, not in a bullpen session or in this one inning start. His ERA is 9.00. In his game with Gary Sanchez catching, he had three hits with a run scored and only one strikeout. Last season the ERA with Higashioka compared to Sanchez was demonstrative.

Deivi Garcia:

Simply put, Garcia got hammered in his lone start. He gave up two runs in two innings of work for an ERA of 9.00. The good takeaways are that he struck out 3 hitters of the eight he faced and did not allow a walk. He was a victim of the long ball. Garcia made his major league debut last year and is contending for a rotation spot this season.

DJ LeMahieu:

LeMahieu last season batted .364 and was the batting champ for all of baseball. During the offseason, he signed a six-year deal with the New York Yankees. So far in spring training, he has picked up where he left off last season. He is batting .500 4 hits in eight plate appearances.

Gary Sanchez:

We all know that Gary Sanchez had a horrible season last year, batting only .147. The Yankees are looking for a major rebound this year to the kind of player he has the potential to be. So far, the signs are encouraging, he has performed well catching and has a home run to his credit in every four plate appearances. The power is definitely there.

Gleyber Torres:

Torres is another player that had a subpar season last year. Torres has been in four games for eight appearances at the plate and has a home run to his credit. He is batting .500. He had only 3 home runs in all of last season. So far, there have been no issues at shortstop. The Yankees hope he will bounce back to his All-Star form.

Gio Urshela:

Urshela has had limited playing time so far this spring training. He has had no hits in his two times at the plate. But the good news for Urshela is that there appear to be no lingering issues resulting from his elbow surgery.

Jay Bruce/Derek Dietrich:

Bruce and Dietrich were offseason pickups for the Yankees. Both are in contention for a place on the bench, and both are making the best of it. Bruce has three hits, one a double, and is batting .750. Dietrich has a home run and 2 RBI’s, and a 1.833 OPS. They will be competing with the likes of Tyler Wade and Mike Ford, so far they are winning the challenge.

Giancarlo Stanton/Aaron Judge/Luke Voit:

If there is any bad news, it’s that the big three, Judge, Stanton, and Voit, haven’t performed as they warmup for the regular season. Judge is batting .250 with 2 doubles in 9 plate appearances. Stanton, who was so hot in the postseason, has gotten no hits in his 4 times behind the plate. Luke Voit, last year’s baseball home run leader, is batting just 1.11 in 9 at-bats with no home runs.

All in all the New York Yankees are in pretty good shape entering their second week of spring training on a route to a 28th World Championship.

New York Yankee News: Boone to return Sunday? Yankees play the Pirates today and more

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New York Yankees, Jameson Taillon

On the evening of March 3, New York Yankee manager Aaron Boone had heart pacemaker surgery, just hours after alerting the team that he was taking medical emergency leave. Boone had been feeling a lack of energy, some lightheadedness, and bouts of labored breathing. He consulted with doctors, and they told him his heart rate was too slow and that he would need a pacemaker to fix the problem.

The surgery was completed at Tampa’s St. Joseph Hospital without complications. Boone was sent home 24 hours later. When he woke up the day after the procedure, he said he felt better than in months. He said Friday he felt even better. Boone went to the ballpark but only as far as the parking lot to have the required Covid protocol testing after being in the hospital. He said that he could be back with the club on Saturday, but being an away game, it would more likely be Sunday back at Steinbrenner Field.

Yankees to play the Pirates today

The New York Yankees will travel 50 miles south today to Bradenton, Florida, to play the Pittsburgh Pirates. It will be the first time in spring training that the Yankees will face the Pirates. With coronavirus still a factor during this spring training, the Yankees will only face the Florida West Coast teams: the Pirates, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Detroit Tigers, and the Toronto Blue Jays. Today’s game at 1 pm will not be televised.

During the offseason, the Yankees traded for Pirate’s starter James Taillon. Ironically today’s Yankee starter will be James Taillon in his second start of the season, this time against his old team.  On March 1, he pitched masterfully in his inning, putting down the Tiger side in one two three fashion using only seven pitches. It’s a small sample; the Yankees will be observing the starter as he comes back from his second Tommy John surgery. So far in spring training, the Yankees are impressed.

Today he will face Pirate’s pitcher Cody Ponce. Yankee ace Gerrit Cole and James Taillon were teammates together in 2016, 2017, and in the minor leagues. Taillon knows almost all of the Pirate’s hitter he will face today. Check back with EmpireSportsMedia.com for the game recap.

Yankees look good, but questions linger

After a long offseason of discontent, the Yankees have solved most of their major problems, and in spring training, so far they look pretty good, mostly good pitching, and many of the hitters have gotten off to a good start, including last years batting champ DJ LeMahieu who was signed to a six-year contract that will most likely see him retire as a New York Yankee. However, some questions have so far gone unanswered.

The major one is who will anchor the pitching rotation? Ace Gerrit Cole will lead the rotation, followed by Corey Kluber, James Taillon, and Jordon Montgomery. Those contending for that fifth spot are Domingo German, Deivi Garcia, Jhoulys Chacin, and even Nick Nelson. Clarke Schmidt would also be in the conversation, but he is injured. Right now, German has the edge as he pitched two perfect innings. Garcia gave up two runs in as many innings.

Another pitching question is how manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake limit innings for the starting rotation to remain fresh. It will be a challenge as the team builds up the pitchers to pitch a 162 game season compared to only 60 games last season. Also, Kluber, Taillon, and German didn’t pitch at all last season.

Another question is can Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres return to All-Star form? Although it’s really early in spring training, the signs are encouraging. Sanchez had two homes in just this week. Torres had a homer of his own, and there have been no complaints at shortstop.

One of the biggest questions will not be answered until the end of the season or during the postseason. That question is can Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton stay on the field for 140 games together. If they can, the New York Yankee lineup will be one to contend with and could be the key to a Yankee 28th World Championship.

 

 

New York Yankees: Jameson Taillon is happy, healthy, and excited

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The New York Yankees traded with the Pittsburgh Pirates a few weeks ago for starting pitcher Jameson Taillon. Taillon pitched his first full inning for the Yankees yesterday since becoming a Yankee. During the offseason, he was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he was a fellow pitcher with Gerrit Cole. Yesterday he pitched masterfully in his inning, putting down the Tiger side in one two three fashion, using only seven pitches. It’s a small sample; the Yankees will be observing the starter as he comes back from his second Tommy John surgery. So far in spring training, the Yankees are impressed. After the game, he took to Twitter.

“Extremely grateful to be healthy and back on the mound in a game. I really missed the feeling of competing. There’s nothing quite like the combo of adrenaline/butterflies. Excited to continue the build up into the season!”

Taillon could be a big boost to the New York Yankees rotation and probably will start in the number 3 spot behind Gerrit Cole and Corey Kluber. Taillon brings another look to the rotation with an entirely different pitching style. If successful, it could give the Yankees a one, two, three punch at the top of the rotation that opponents will fear. In 2019, he relied primarily on his Slider (89mph), Fourseam Fastball (95mph), and Sinker (95mph), also mixing in a Curve (83mph) and Change (89mph). … His curve is much harder than usual and has a sharp downward bite—Taillon’s pitching results in many ground balls that fit Yankee Stadium nicely.

Frustrated by a second Tommy John surgery, the Yankees’ newest starter worked with a “village” of experts to revamp his delivery. He is ready to display it on day one with the New York Yankees. It certainly was on display yesterday in Tampa. Let’s look at the journey that has led him to the Yankees.

Jameson Lee Taillon is 29 years old, born on November 18, 1991. He is a Canadian/American citizen, but he was born in Lakeland, Florida. His family moved to Texas, where the tall young man attended Woodlands High School in Woodland. He played baseball for the Highlanders. It was there that he got the attention of Pittsburgh Pirates scouts with his 22-6 record. In his senior year at Woodland, he threw a no-hitter, striking out 19 hitters. His 2010 senior record was 8-1.

Out of high school, Taillon signed a letter of intent to attend college but was drafted in the Pirates’ in the first round. Just hours before the deadline, he did choose the Pirates over Rice University for a $6.5 million signing bonus, the second-highest bonus in draft history at the time. Taillon made his professional debut on April 27, 2011. He joined the team on April 24 after staying in Florida for an extended spring training assignment. He spent the season with the West Virginia Power, going 2–3 with a 3.98 ERA in 23 starts.

Taillon was named to appear in the 2012All-Star Futures Game. He started the 2012 season with the Marauders but was quickly promoted to the Altoona Curve. In August, he 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. He was promoted to the Indianapolis Indians, but after the season, he had his first Tommy John surgery to repair a UCL of the elbow, causing him to miss the entire 2014 season. He also missed the 2015 season with a sports hernia.

During 2016 Taillon spent his time between the Pirates and the minors going back and forth. He made his Major League Debut after 10 starts in the minors. Taillon went 4–2 with a 2.04 ERA, striking out 61 in 61.2 innings and walking only 6. In another Pirate’s start, he faced Noah Syndergaard; 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. In his second start against the Mets, he threw 8 scoreless innings, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh before former Yankees Curtis Granderson broke it up, recording his first win in the 4–0 victory. He spent the remainder of 2016 with Pittsburgh. In 18 starts, he compiled a 5–4 record and 3.38 ERA.

In 2017 he was in the Pirate’s starting rotation, but he underwent surgery for testicular cancer in May. After just a few weeks, he was back with the club and finished the season with 25 starts; he had an 8–7 record and 4.44 ERA. He pitched the entire 2018 season uninjured with a 3.20 ERA in 32 starts. His 2019 season was cut short when he required his second Tommy John surgery. He did not pitch in 2020 while rehabbing.

General manager Brian Cashman has a history of taking chances on previously injured players, as he has already done with Corey Kluber. In a worst-case scenario, both of these pitchers will be average pitchers, but there is also an excellent chance that they excel for the Yankees and prove their worth with minor investment.  This will give the Yankees a whole season to evaluate Domingo German and Luis Severino’s returning pitchers and further develop prospects Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, and Michael King.

At just 29 years old, Taillon is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound pitcher. He primarily utilizes a fastball that can top out at 98 mph, sinker, slider, and a circle curveball. He gets an impressive 50% ground ball rate, which plays well at Yankee Stadium. Taillon was not the same pitcher in 2019; he has developed a new delivery to take the strain off his arm by using his hip more efficiently in his delivery.

“I kind of had like a coming-to-grips moment where I said, ‘My current set of mechanics and what I’m doing isn’t working,’” he said in a conference call with reporters. “That’s just the cold, hard truth. I need to change something or else my career is going to be over.”

Taillon has accomplished that working with the training staff, coaches, and a visit to the Florida Baseball Ranch, a facility in Lakeland, Fla., that uses diagnostics to improve health and performance. Over time, the pitcher refashioned his windup and delivery. Taillon declared that he was healthy and would be ready for spring training, whenever it starts. He has been throwing off a mound with the goal of preparation, not rehabilitation.

Taillon said that he now had more spin on his fastball and that his cut fastball had evolved into more of a true slider. He still relies on a sloping curveball, having discovered a comfortable grip on his evolving changeup, which gives him the potential for at least five pitches. Taillon has the ability to become a true ace. The New York Yankees have control of him through the 2022 season.

New York Yankees Recap: Chris Gitten’s Grand Slam powers the Yankees to a win

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The New York Yankees had their second game of spring training today, again at George M. Steinbrenner Field in St. Pete. This time it was against the visiting Detroit Tigers. The Yankees won the game 5-4. Yankee ace Gerrit Cole was on the mound for the Yankees. J Candelario smashed a long ball to the top of the left-field wall to start the game. The minor league Jay Bruce made an amazing catch. To start his first game of spring training. Tiger hitters were pretty much having their way with Cole.

Goodrum drove in a run leaving two men still on base. It should be noted that Cole was not pitching to his personal catcher Higashioka; Gary Sanchez was catching the ace, who struggled in the inning, throwing 29 pitches, and allowing three hits. Tigers 1 Yankees 0.

Kyle Funkhouser started for the Tigers. Tyler Wade led off for the Yankees; he grounded out. Gary Sanchez was next up. He struck out in yesterday’s game; in his first at-bat today, he walked. Aaron Hicks walked. Jay Bruce struck out. Derek Dietrich lined out to center field, ending the scoreless half for the Yankees. In the first inning, both pitchers struggled to combine for 58 pitches.

Cole only pitched one inning. Jameson Taillon pitched the top of the second inning and had a one-two-three inning for the Yankees in an impressive display of first pitch flyouts. Cole in-between innings had a long discussion with Sanchez in the dugout. Higashioka drew a walk in his first plate appearance of training.  Ryan LeMarre also walked. Thairo Estrada grounded into a double play ending another scoreless inning for the Yankees. Decaster pitched the second for the Tigers.

Taillon used only seven pitches in the second inning, but  Jhoulys Chacin came out of the pen to pitch the 3rd for the Yankees. Garcia walked, and Wilson Ramos hit a long home run off the centerfield netting, and just like that, the Yankees were behind three runs. Goodrum walked, Greene singled with Goodrum moving to third. Rogers struck out, Pinero with two outs, Green stole second on a late throw by Sanchez. Pinero grounded out, ending the inning, but Chacin gave up two runs.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Gary Sanchez hit a monster home run in his third at-bat of the spring; David Cone said not many humans could hit a ball that hard. Michael Kay said it was majestic and towering. The ball actually left the park over the protective netting that prevents the ball from leaving the stadium. The ball clearly went out onto the highway. Tigers 3 Yankees 1. After that, the Yankees loaded the bases, but Ford flew out and “Higgy” grounded out, leaving the bases loaded.

Nick Nelson started the 4th and pitched a nice clean inning using only 9 pitches to put away the Tigers. The New York Yankees had a scoreless 4th. The top of the fifth saw Nelson back on the mound, Goodrum managed a single off Nelson, but he pitched his second scoreless inning. At the bottom of the fifth, Romaro Britto doubled, Trey Amburgey walked, Armando Alverez was then hit by a pitch loading the bases for the second time in the game. Chris Gittens came to the plate and hit the first Grand Slam of the season, putting the Yankees up 5-3. Gittens is one of the Yankees’ most powerful prospects.

The top of the sixth opened with Nestor Cortes Jr. on the Yankee’s mound and allowed a base hit but struck out three Tigers for a scoreless half. The Tigers Foley worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth. Yankees 5 Tigers 3. Albert Abreu, who has had trouble with his command, started the 7th inning. He immediately allowed a fly ball single, a well-hit ball to Velazquez, followed by a fly ball double. Abreu had a wild pitch driving in a Tiger run for a score of 5-4 Yankees. Regardless Abreu managed to get out of the inning with the New York Yankees winning the game.

 

New York Yankees: Torres wants to forget last season, Kluber is where he needs to be and more

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New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres

The New York Yankee’s shortstop Gleyber Torres is looking to have as many home runs as in 2019 or more. Torres led the Yankees with 38 home runs in 2019, but 2020 was disappointing for the young shortstop. He hit only three long balls and had an average of just .243, down more than 30 points from the previous season. During this offseason manager, Aaron Boone said Torres was not in shape he should be at the beginning of the season. His performance was lacking in the first part of the season, but he showed improvement when he came back from the IL in his last 18 games.

Now with spring training in full swing, Torres is healthy, strong, and ready to go.

“I still feel [I have] power,’’ Torres said. “I don’t know why I didn’t hit too many homers last year. I’m trying to get stronger and [have more] agility. We’ll see this year if I have the same or more homers than ’19.”

In 2020 Torres struggled mightily both as a shortstop and behind the plate, but he has worked extensively with bench coach Carlos Mendoza on his play at short.

“Look, everybody knows how difficult last year was, especially when we got shut down,’’ said Mendoza, who has worked extensively with Torres at short. “It was so hard to get ready and we didn’t know when we were coming back. Brian made his comments and [Torres] kept saying he felt fine. … This year, he looks really good.”

When he was asked about Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million contract with the San Diego Padres, and if it was a motivation for him, he said, of course, everyone wants to make a lot of money.

Corey Kluber is feeling fine and is in a good place

Corey Kluber is healthy and has taken to the mound a few times in the 2021 spring training. Kluber had some bad luck being hit by a comebacker in 2019 and suffering a shoulder injury in the first inning he pitched for the Texas Rangers. But that is all behind him now that he is with the New York Yankees, and he is performing well in spring training.

Kluber is a two-time Cy Young Award winner and, when healthy, is an ace capable starter for any team. Friday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, the right-hander pitched two innings to Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, and Luke Voit. Manager Boone, who observed the pitcher tossing, said:

“I feel really good about his progress,” Boone said. “I thought he finished better than he started, and I think the stuff is overall pretty crisp. I’m encouraged where he’s at. We’re sitting here in February, and we’ve got essentially a stud pitcher ramping up for a season.”

Kluber said there is no reason to worry; I am right where I want to be for this time of the season.

“My goal is to hit the ground running on Opening Day,” Kluber said. “It’s no secret that I probably haven’t been at my best early on in the season previously in my career; not that I want to be OK with that. I’m always trying to tweak what I need to feel like it will have been better prepared from the get-go. Every game is important.”

Jameson Taillon will be innings vigilant

The newly added pitcher for the New York Yankees is Jameson Taillon, who was traded for from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is coming back from his second Tommy John surgery and is feeling fine, but he talked about pitching 120 to 150 innings as a goal this season. He said that as spring training progresses, he is open to talking about that.

“We haven’t talked about any given number, but we have talked about communicating and staying vigilant,” Taillon said. “I’m ready to be honest and open about that. I’m sure as Spring Training gets on, we’ll communicate about some sort of rough idea that we have. Right now, I’m feeling really good.”

What to expect this Sunday

This Sunday will be the first exhibition game of spring training. It will be against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Yankees training camp in St. Petersburg, Florida, this Sunday at 1:05 pm. Michael King will be projected to start for the Yankees. Manager Aaron Boone has said it will be a seven-inning affair and indicated the first few games would also be limited to seven innings.

The New York Yankees game will be televised on the YES Network, as will most of the Yankees’ home games in spring training. It’s a shorter Spring Training with modified rules. Specifically, the Yanks will only play the Blue Jays, Orioles, Phillies, Pirates, and Tigers. This is for COVID-19 travel-related reasons excluding Florida east coast games. 14 games will be at home and 14 away. The YES Network will carry 14 of those games. MLB Network will carry the opening game on Sunday as well as 13 others. Fox and NBC will carry a few of the games.