This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin's White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CHICAGO -- Two years ago, Paul Skenes and Grant Taylor were catch-play partners as part of the top-notch pitching unit for Louisiana State University. Unfortunately, they never had a chance to be in the same rotation, with Taylor missing the entire 2023 season after injuring his elbow and requiring Tommy John surgery, and both being selected in that year’s Draft upon the season’s conclusion.
However, Taylor’s lack of game work with Skenes doesn’t lessen the high esteem with which the ’24 National League Rookie of the Year holds the White Sox rookie right-hander. After the Pittsburgh ace shut down the Cubs at Wrigley Field last Friday, he had nothing but praise for Taylor.
“I wouldn't have gotten to the point that I did, that I have, without him, just because of the human he is and the way he goes about his business,” Skenes said of Taylor to pirates.com reporter Alex Stumpf. “You can see what he does on the field. It's pretty easy to see.
“You look at his body, you can tell that he puts the work in. Then what he does on the field, he works as hard as anybody I've been around in this game.”
Taylor’s hard work paid off with a call-up to the White Sox on June 10 following just 46 total Minor League innings across two seasons at three levels. Making nine appearances out of the bullpen this year with Double-A Birmingham prior to his call-up, Taylor struck out five across his first four MLB relief appearances, before pitching a scoreless first inning as an opener on Friday night against the Blue Jays as a replacement for scheduled starter Davis Martin, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain.
Skenes was aware of Taylor’s impressive debut in Houston on June 10, when he topped 100 mph on six of his pitches, according to Statcast. He was not surprised by Taylor’s high level of success.
“I'm really excited because he's out of the 'pen this year,” Skenes said. “He's gonna be a starter next year, and I think there's gonna be some good competition there between the two of us about, you know, just going back and forth. It's good to see a guy like him is having success.”
Labeling Taylor as a starter next year could be Skenes’ hopeful take as a good friend, but it’s probably news to the White Sox and even news to Taylor at this point. The possibility certainly has not been ruled out, but the White Sox will weigh all the data and information at the end of the ’25 season before moving forward with Taylor’s plan.
As for the compliments from quite possibly the best starter in the game, Taylor, the White Sox #6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, appreciated the high praise.
“He’s a hard enough worker,” Taylor told me of Skenes’ credit to him. “He absorbs enough knowledge, he’s a sponge, and I truly believe that he’d be there regardless.
“I think us being able to compete against each other, week in, week out that fall was crucial for both of us jump-starting our progression of the next couple of years. Being able to talk to him after LSU, throughout the Minors, was big.”
The arsenals possessed by Taylor and Skenes are different, with Skenes notably featuring a lower arm slot. Their competitive approach, however, is very similar.
“Some of the stuff doesn’t necessarily translate over on how to throw different pitches or whatever,” Taylor said. “Just purely talking attack strategies, mental game, how to do your work, was huge for me.
“Just having another guy where me and him are similar the way we think about things, the way we go about our process. It was nice to have someone like that being able to throw some ideas off.”
Anyone who watches Taylor seemingly walks away impressed. Sean Burke, who threw alongside Taylor in Spring Training and lived with him when they were both rehabbing in Arizona in ’24, had an inkling of what Taylor would do once he reached the Majors.
“Guys who hadn’t seen him pitch are pleasantly surprised with the stuff, but that’s kind of what I expected out of him coming up here,” Burke said. “He’s done a phenomenal job so far.”
So, what sort of pitcher impresses Taylor? While he marvels at Aroldis Chapman consistently being able to top 100 mph during Year 16 in the Majors, he points to Clayton Kershaw as his favorite growing up.
“It’s kind of crazy,” said a smiling Taylor. “He’s a lefty. At one point in his career, he was 95, 96 [mph]. Whenever I was watching, he was low 90s.
“Sometimes I’m more impressed with that than the guys who throw very hard. The game has moved more toward velo, and being able to [perform while throwing] 88-to-92 [mph] and still … knowing how to get guys out that way, it’s pretty cool.”