The Chicago White Sox are calling up pitching prospect Grant Taylor from Double-A Birmingham on Monday, according to The Athletic's James Fegan. The hard-throwing right-hander will get his first big-league call-up after dominating in a relief role at Birmingham with a 1.01 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 37 strikeouts and 11 walks in 26 2/3 innings over 15 appearances (six starts). Taylor is considered the team's No. 6 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and will likely serve in a relief role in the majors, which will limit his fantasy appeal. After being moved to the bullpen at Birmingham, Taylor has thrown 9 1/3 scoreless frames with 18 strikeouts and just one walk. He could push for high-leverage innings sooner than later, but in mixed fantasy leagues, you can leave him on the waiver wire. Taylor primarily relies on a fastball-cutter combination but also has a plus curveball and slider.
Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Grant Taylor has made six starts so far at Double-A Birmingham, but is expected to get some work out of the bullpen over the remainder of the season as a way of managing his workload. The team is exercising caution as the righty missed all of 2023 with Tommy John surgery and a lat injury limited the former second-round draft pick to just 16 IP at Single-A in 2024. In his six starts this season, the 6-foot-3 hurler owns a 1.56 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 13.0 percent K-BB%, which could be higher if not for a gaudy 14.5 percent walk rate. Nevertheless, assuming his health holds up, the 22-year-old could make a push for a debut in the majors next season. While he could be a solid starter in the majors, he's not a stash candidate in dynasty leagues at the moment.
Chicago White Sox starting pitching prospect Grant Taylor will begin the 2025 regular season with Double-A Birmingham. The White Sox drafted Taylor with the 51st overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. The 22-year-old has been unable to pitch through most of the start of his professional career as he underwent Tommy John surgery while still in college at LSU. Last season, Taylor made his professional debut. He logged just 19 1/3 innings, split between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A. At Low-A Kannapolis, Taylor tossed 16 innings and held a strong 1.13 ERA with a stellar 0.63 WHIP. He held a near-perfect 1:25 BB:K. In spring training, the right-hander tossed four shutout innings and held a 1:9 BB:K. Taylor will join a top-heavy Birmingham rotation that features Noah Schultz, one of the top pitching prospects in the sport, and Hagen Smith.
Grant Taylor
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