Around the Curve | Curve in the Majors - Vol. 2

CURVE, PA. – Altoona has been a pipeline to the Major Leagues for nearly 26 years, with the current alumni count at 214 players achieving their dreams of becoming a big leaguer. This season, we want to look at some of the exciting accomplishments our alumni are achieving at the Major League level. Every week, we will spotlight a handful of players who are succeeding at the next level and reflect on their time with the Curve, here on the Around the Curve Blog! Here is our second edition of: “Curve in the Majors.”

1. RHP - Paul Skenes - Pittsburgh Pirates

Season Stats: 1-0, 2.70 ERA, 2 Games (2 Starts) 10 IP, 3R, 6H, 3BBs, 18Ks

Pirates No. 1 Draft selection Paul Skenes made his much-anticipated Major League Debut last Saturday in front of a playoff-like atmosphere. Skenes immediately showed the reasoning behind the hype, striking out seven batters in four total innings. While he couldn’t go the distance after nearing a pitch limit, he was able to give many Pirates fans hope for the future.

As of the writing of this article, Skenes has just completed his second appearance in the black and gold against the Chicago Cubs. As if he had anything left to prove, Skenes struck out 11 batters in six innings of no-hit baseball. Consequently, this thrilling performance has made his legend grow even bigger in the minds of Curve and Pirate fans alike.

Skenes suited up just two times for the Curve before being shut down for the remainder of the 2023 season. During his time with the ball club, he finished with an ERA of 13.50 accompanied by five hits, five strikeouts, and two walks. It should be noted that the only time Skenes appeared in front of an Altoona crowd is now the franchise record for the biggest recorded attendance in Peoples Natural Gas Field history, at a whopping 10,164 fans.

2. C - Blake Sabol - San Francisco Giants

Season Stats: .313, 11 games, 2 2B, 1 RBI, .421 OBP, .375 SLG

Since leaving the Pirates organization, Blake Sabol has been on a tear throughout the Minor and Major Leagues. After recently being called up with the Giants for the second time in his young career, he’s argued to be in the Giants starting catcher picture for the future. Given San Francisco's current catching injury debacle, that just might be the case. He was promoted back to San Francisco on May 4 and has caught in eight of the 11 games he has played with the Giants this season.

Sabol appeared during most of the 2022 Curve season, coming out as a fan favorite and one of the top sluggers for that ball club that year. Before being called up to Triple-A Indianapolis towards the end of the season, Sabol would finish his stint with a .281 Batting average, 14 home runs, and 60 RBIs in 98 games.

3. RHP - Jameson Taillon - Chicago Cubs

Season Stats: 3-1, 1.61 ERA, 5 Games (5 Starts) 28.0 IP, 8 BBs, 18Ks

Jameson Taillon has started the 2024 campaign by throwing well in his first five starts with the Cubs this season. During this season, he’s allowed 11 runs on 23 hits, but only five of the runs are earned, leading to his strong ERA. What makes this stellar start more impressive is that Taillion is coming off a late spring training injury, causing him to miss opening week for the Cubs. He has bounced back to be one of the Cubs’ reliable arms in their rotation.

Taillon appeared 24 times in a Curve uniform, starting a total of 23 times. During his time in Altoona, Taillon pitched just over a total of 130 innings, averaging a strikeout per inning. Outside of those impressive stats, he was also named Eastern League Pitcher of The Week during the second week of August in 2012 and Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star in 2013.

4. RHP - Jared Jones - Pittsburgh Pirates

Season Stats: 3-4, 2.89 ERA, 9 Games, 53.0 IP, 63Ks, 7BBs

Jared Jones is yet another Pirates rookie that’s making waves this season. Jones started the season with the Pirates, after being a non-roster invited to spring training. Since being called up, he has lived up to the hype he built during his time in the minors, sliding his stellar slider highlight reel all over the country and becoming very well known for blowing off the doors of any offense he went up against. Jones most notably recent highlight came during the home series when the Pirates took on the Milwaukee Brewers. Not only did Jones pick up his second victory of the season but showcased his slider’s ability to make batters swing right out of their shoes.

Curve fans had a few opportunities to see Jones and his blistering fastball. Jones appeared in just 10 games with the Curve, tossing just over 44 total innings. During those 44 innings, he allowed just 11 runs on 32 hits while also walking 16 batters. Jones also struck out 47 Batters during that time frame, thanks in part to not only his lightning-quick fastball but also his quick sweeping slider.

5. OF - Bryan Reynolds - Pittsburgh Pirates

Season Stats: .254 avg., 46 games, 12 2B, 1 3B, 5 HRs, 20 RBIs

Bryan Reynolds is arguably the best player on the Pittsburgh Pirates right now and it’s not hard to see why. Not only has he been by far the most consistent player on the entire 40-man roster, but has consistently found ways to put more power into the sometimes underwhelming lineup. Reynolds currently leads the Pirates with 46 hits, 24 walks, and 12 doubles.

After being acquired in the Andrew McCutchen trade in 2017, Reynolds quickly made his way to the Curve roster. He went on to play 88 games with Altoona, dropping an impressive .302 avg with seven home runs and 46 RBIs.

Other Notes:

• Ji-Hwan Bae is once again ripping through International League opposing pitching, riding high with an impressive .345 batting average and .467 OBP. While Bae has yet to suit up for Pittsburgh this season, it's hard to see a reality where we don’t see Bae in a Pirates uniform soon.
• Canaan Smith-Nijgba has been a recurring player in the Indianapolis Indians lineup this season as he's appeared in 27 games. He is sporting a .381 on-base percentage and has seven extra-base hits with 10 RBI on the season. Smith-Njigba was designated for assignment by the Pirates earlier this season and is off the 40-man roster.
• Hammering Henry Davis is back at it again with the Indianapolis Indians after his recent option down from the Pirates on May 3. Since then, Davis has reached base safely a total of 10 times in his last nine game appearances. He has added a double and a home run in his brief time in Indy.

Stay tuned all season long for more exciting content on the Around the Curve Blog!