Brad Lincoln News

With all of the hype circulating around Gerrit Cole , Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Jameson Taillon has been the forgotten one.

On Tuesday night in June, almost three years ago to the day, I witnessed quite possibly the best pitching debut ever.

If I asked you to name the ten best position players in Pittsburgh Pirates' history, we could have a debate that lasted for days.

For Cole, the 22-year-old who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 first-year player draft, his Major League Baseball responsibility begins at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday night at PNC Park, when he will make his debut against the San Francisco Giants.

In his best outing as a reliever for the Blue Jays, right-hander Brad Lincoln lowered his ERA from 6.11 to 4.98 after throwing four scoreless innings in Toronto's 4-3, 18-inning win over Texas on Saturday.

He has five plus tools that will make him a perennial MVP candidate for years to come.

This is not a secret, but the way that relievers are used has changed quite a bit throughout baseball history.

The Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen has delivered in a big way as the second month of the season winds to a close this week.