ESPN analyst spotlights the White Sox young flamethrower as one to watch

The Chicago White Sox have some exciting pieces forming. They had plenty of their younger guys get good looks last season, which should spark their confidence going into this year. 

Colson Montgomery and Shane Smith were two rookies who had no problem making the jump from the minors to the big leagues. You can also throw Grant Taylor's name out there, too. 

Taylor did not get called up until June, but made the most of it. He was used as a high-leverage reliever and even closed out a few games last year. 

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ESPN analyst spotlights the White Sox young flamethrower as one to watch

Taylor has a live arm. He has topped out at 101.5 mph, and has already been clocked at 101.2 mph this spring. 

However, what sets him apart from some other high-velocity arms is his secondary pitches. He doesn't just rely on the fastball because his cutter, slider, and curveball can also get batters out. 

He should be used in a similar role this season, helping bridge the gap to the ninth inning, and could close out a few games here and there. But, it being his second year, expect him to get stretched out a bit more. 

He has all the makings to dominate this season, and ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projects that he could be a breakout player for the White Sox. 

"Taylor sits near 100 mph in short stints and has one of the best curveballs on Earth, along with a really good cutter between them. He's going to be stretched out more this year and could be a lot of fun to watch."

If he can stay healthy, Taylor could take the next step. And that would be great for a team that is nearing the end of its rebuild, with the foundation starting to be laid. 

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