Jake Taylor brings Columbia a velocity-and-slider upside arm with early 2026 flashes
In the 2026 season, Columbia RHP Jake Taylor made three mound appearances, threw 3.0 innings, and struck out three while not issuing a walk in a scoreless-looking small sample that hints at real upside.[1] Columbia’s coaching staff has highlighted his velocity and slider as the separator, which fits the profile of a developing power reliever whose stuff can play up quickly when the command is there.[2] He also gained summer-league reps with Vermont, a useful sign that the program sees him as a live arm worth accelerating.[5] For a team, he looks like a high-upside depth add: not yet a finished product, but definitely the kind of arm hitters have to wake up fully alert for.[1][2][5]