| W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | SO | WHIP |
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| G | W-L | ERA | IP | SO | WHIP |
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Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40
The Phillies targeted college pitching in the 2025 Draft, using 13 of their 20 selections on that demographic. Their first six picks were all college arms, with Tallon the last of the half-dozen. The big left-hander spent three years at Duke, almost entirely as a reliever, showcasing swing-and-miss stuff albeit without the ability to command it consistently. A 12.5 career K/9 rate for the Blue Devils stood out and the Phillies took a chance on his bat-missing arm in the sixth round, signing for right around slot.
While there was some talk about Tallon being given the chance to start out of the gate, it’s looking like he’s going to be a reliever to kick off his pro career. The 6-foot-5 southpaw is all about his unhittable fastball, a pitch he threw more than 70 percent of the time last year at Duke. It sits in the low 90s and tops out at just 95 mph, but it elicited a miss rate of 34 percent and a 35-percent chase rate in 2025 thanks to a deceptive delivery and a low release height. He’ll need to improve his breaking ball, though his cutter-like slider did miss bats at times.
Tallon did throw a mid-80s changeup now and again in college, but will likely focus on his top two pitches as a professional reliever. He needs to harness his command after walking 4.7 per nine last year, but if he can do that and improve his ability to spin the ball, he could move pretty quickly through the system.
| Team | Date | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
|
04/03/2026 | LHP James Tallon assigned to Clearwater Threshers from FCL Phillies. |
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03/05/2026 | LHP James Tallon assigned to Philadelphia Phillies Prospects. |
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08/07/2025 | LHP James Tallon assigned to FCL Phillies. |
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07/22/2025 | Philadelphia Phillies signed LHP James Tallon. |
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04/09/2025 | LHP James Tallon assigned to Duke Blue Devils. |
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04/03/2024 | LHP James Tallon assigned to Falmouth Commodores. |
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03/07/2024 | LHP James Tallon assigned to Duke Blue Devils. |
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05/24/2023 | College Workout activated LHP James Tallon. |
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04/02/2023 | LHP James Tallon assigned to Duke Blue Devils. |
