Jameson Lee Taillon ( ; born November 18, 1991) is a Canadian-American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees. The Pirates chose Taillon as the second overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2016. The Pirates traded Taillon to the Yankees before the 2021 season and signed with the Cubs after the 2022 season. Early life Jameson Taillon was born in Lakeland, Florida to Christie and Michael Taillon on November 18, 1991. Taillon attended The Woodlands High School in Texas. He caught the attention of scouts with a 22–6 win–loss record in his high school career. He was 8–1 during his senior year and threw a 19-strikeout no-hitter against rival Conroe High School on March 23, 2010. Professional career Minor league career Prior to the 2010 MLB draft, Fangraphs called Taillon the best high school pitching prospect since Josh Beckett (1999). Baseball America compared him to pitchers like Stephen Strasburg. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Taillon with the second overall selection of the draft. He had signed a National Letter of Intent with Rice University in November 2009 posing a challenge to the Pirates in their effort to sign him. However, hours before the signing deadline, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Taillon had indeed signed with the Pirates. Baseball Americas Jim Callis reported that Taillon's deal included a $6.5 million signing bonus, the second-highest in draft history. Taillon made his professional debut with the West Virginia Power against the Hagerstown Suns on April 27, 2011. He joined the team on April 24 after staying in Florida for an extended spring training assignment. He spent the whole season with the Power, going 2–3 with a 3.98 earned run average (ERA) in 23 starts. Taillon was named to appear in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game. He began the season with the Bradenton Marauders and he was promoted to the Altoona Curve in August 2012. In his first week with the Curve, August 20–26, 2012, Taillon 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. Prior to the 2013 season, Taillon was ranked as the 15th best prospect in baseball by MLB.com. Taillon participated in the 2013 World Baseball Classic for Team Canada, being the