\u201cI\u2019m doing it more to honor my family and what Canada means to my family, and how great it\u2019s been to us,\u201d he said. \u201cI still want to win and stuff, but I think helping Canada grow baseball is also a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taillon grew up in Texas, but his family ties to the Great White North are extensive. Both his parents were born and raised in Canada, he said. And Taillon\u2019s parents made sure every summer that their four kids visited their grandparents in Canada.<\/p>\n
Taillon\u2019s brother Jordan was born not far from Toronto. And the eldest, Justin, returned to get his master\u2019s degree from the University of Guelph in Ontario. They still have plenty of family and friends in the country.<\/p>\n
This will be the second time Taillon represents Canada in the WBC. The first was in 2013, when Taillon was a 21-year-old Pirates prospect, just a few years removed from being selected No. 2 overall by Pittsburgh in the MLB Draft.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing a prospect at the time, I was just handled carefully in a lot of ways,\u201d he said, \u201cprotected a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then for the WBC, he ventured from the Pirates organization, onto the international stage, and into another world. Taillon, who had never pitched above Double-A at that point in his career, was tabbed to start against Team USA in pool play.<\/p>\n
He was facing a lineup that had Jimmy Rollins, Brandon Phillips, Ryan Braun and Joe Mauer hitting back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Then after getting through them, he\u2019d still had to worry about David Wright, Adam Jones and Ben Zobrist in the bottom half of the order.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the big thing for me, was putting my big boy pants on and going out there,\u201d Taillon said. \u201cI was scared as s\u2014. But you\u2019re out there facing [future Hall of Famer] Joe Mauer, who\u2019s coming off MVPs, and Ryan Braun, and it\u2019s like, well, you have no choice but to just try to do your best.\u201d<\/p>\n
Young Taillon\u2019s best was pretty darn good. He held the U.S. to just one earned run and four hits in four innings. The game was tied when he handed over the ball, but the United States went on to beat Canada 9-4.<\/p>\n
Taillon\u2019s return to the WBC comes at a wildly different point in his career. Far from a burgeoning prospect, the 34-year-old is entering his 10th major-league season. He\u2019s played for three different franchises, come back from cancer and two separate Tommy John surgeries, and continued to evolve as a pitcher.<\/p>\n
He joins Team Canada as an elder statesman, his focus on preparing for a major-league season, but his foundation solid enough to also balance a commitment to his national team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited,\u201d Taillon said Monday to a small group of reporters, standing by the batting cage tucked below Goodyear Ballpark\u2019s right-field seating. \u201cI wish I was throwing better going into it, but honestly, I think it could be good. A little change of scenery, get out of Arizona, go compete.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Imanaga gave up three home runs on Sunday.<\/p>\n [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone] read<\/p>\n![\"ST26-imanaga-06-f24.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772502608_161_.jpeg\"\/)
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