Jameson Taillon (SP, PIT) - Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: It’s only the first week of June, and we have already seen Robert Stephenson, Blake Snell, Aaron Blair, Jose Berrios, Sean Manaea, Michael Fulmer and Julio Urias — all top-30 pitching prospects — make their Major League debuts this season. This trend will continue with Jameson Taillon, as the Pirates are calling up their No. 4 prospect to start Wednesday’s series finale with the Mets. The two teams were rained out on Monday, but will play a doubleheader on Tuesday. In order to allow Jonathon Niese to get proper rest before his next start, the Bucs have called upon Taillon to fill the space in the rotation. As a result, he will likely be sent right back down, but given the recent struggles of Juan Nicasio, he could be back up sooner rather than later.

Taillon, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft, hasn’t progressed as fast as the Pirates had hoped he would have, mostly due to injuries, but he appears to be healthy and back on the path to becoming a front-line starter. He didn’t pitch in 2014 or 2015, but has come back stronger than ever in Triple-A this season, boasting a 2.04 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP with 61 K and just six walks in 61.2 IP. The 24-year-old right-hander possesses a plus fastball that can sniff triple digits, a swing-and-miss curveball and a work-in-progress changeup.

If he does remain in Pittsburgh permanently, the 6’5” flamethrower would become an intriguing option in all mixed leagues given his potential. For now, though, Taillon might not be more than a streamer for his start on Wednesday— although he remains a must-own in dynasty and keeper leagues.

Taillon is such a high-upside player, we felt we needed two opinions on his fantasy value. To see Justin Klein’s waiver wire analysis, click here.