Taillon or Glasnow?

     Pirates fans are all eagerly awaiting the arrival of top pitching prospects Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon. Many believe that at least one, if not both, will be up after the Super 2 deadline which occurs around mid-June every year. There is a lot of debate going about which one will be up into the big leagues first. If you had asked me two years ago, I would've said Taillon. If you asked me last year, I would've said Glasnow. Between injuries and slower development than expected, it's hard to determine which of the guys will be in the big leagues first. I doubt they both arrive the same day as that would make little sense. However, it's not about which is first. It's about which is better. Today, I will analyze both pitchers and give my takes on them to determine which one I think is better. 

     Let's start with Jameson Taillon. Taillon was drafted second only to Bryce Harper in his draft class. He quickly became a guy Pirates fans became familiar with. Everyone became excited about and were impatiently awaiting his arrival to make a great 1-2 punch with Gerrit Cole. However, the future for Taillon became shrouded in mystery as he went on to miss nearly 2 years of baseball due to injuries. A guy that was on the cusp of the majors had it seemingly snatched away from him. In 2016, he's come back as dominate as ever before for AAA Indy on his road to major league glory. 

     Glasnow has had an easier road through the MiLB, but he didn't start out as someone you'd expect as a top prospect. The 5th round pick in 2011 was expected to be good but nowhere near as good as he has been. Nobody could have expected him to become top prospect material. He really has surprised us all. It took him a little while to get to the status he is at right now, but the hard work is paying off for him big time. 

     So, which one is better? For starters, Glasnow's ceiling is sky high. However, the floor for him is so very low. If he doesn't really polish up his off speed pitches, he's going to have a ton of trouble getting major leaguers out. As for Taillon, his ceiling isn't as high, but he is definitely more polished, even after missing two seasons. His floor is also not as low as Glasnow's. It's hard to imagine Jameson Taillon being any worse than a number 3 starter in the MLB. With Glasnow, I don't get that sentiment just yet. So, right now I'd have to go with Taillon over Glasnow but it's very close. An unpopular opinion, but it's one I feel is right. 

     But we don't really have to choose between the two and neither do the Pirates. It gives me joy that one day we will have a rotation with Cole, Taillon, and Glasnow all in it! Watch out, MLB! The Pirates rotation will be unstoppable soon!