MESA, Ariz. — Jameson Taillon wants to see the radar gun jump a bit when he’s pitching this season, he’s not afraid to admit it.

“I want to throw harder again,” the Cubs pitcher said last week.

But it can’t come at the expense of the greatest tool a starting pitcher can have — availability.

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“Stay healthy, that’s number one for me,” Taillon added. “If I’m out there, I feel like I have the tools to be successful.”

As Taillon has aged, he’s learned more and more about the art of pitching and his body.

He’s hoping meshing the two could lead to a strong 2025 campaign.

It starts with health.

Last spring, Taillon’s back flared up and he was forced to begin the year on the IL. Yes, velocity could help him unlock another level but adding that can’t come at the expense of being on the field. That he’s learned as he’s grown.

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This offseason, he made it a point to not take so much time off from throwing and taking it easy. An earlier start to the season with the Tokyo Series in Japan expedited things in terms of ramping up for Cubs pitchers, but Taillon still knew he couldn’t just sit back and relax for too long.  

“I’ve just found, the older I get, the more time I take off, the worse I feel,” Taillon said. “So, it’s good to just keep it moving.”

And he spent that working on adding miles-per-hour on his pitches to build off a successful 2024.

Last season, the 33-year-old righty saw his velocity drop — the radar gun on his sinker and four-seam fastball registered over a mile per hour less than in 2023 and his cutter dropped two miles per hour.

“We’re all getting older, but you try to slow it down as an athlete. That’s kind of your job at some point,” manager Craig Counsell said. “For a pitcher that’s velocity.”

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And yet it was one of the best seasons of his career — he posted a 3.27 ERA in 165.1 innings across 28 starts with a 1.13 WHIP.

Taillon relied less on stuff and more on his pitching prowess. His strikeout rate was the lowest of his career (18.5%) and his walk rate was the third lowest in his 8-big league seasons (4.9%), meaning the ball was in play more. But he still stymied hitters.

His .667 OPS against was the best in his career and showed the ability to keep his team in ball games without the pizzazz he had when he was younger.

Taillon showed the ability to be a strong major league starter with less stuff, that was proved last season. Now, adding velocity could help him unlock another level for the Cubs in 2025.

“Last year, I found a way to get things done, but I’m aware of the velo being down a little bit and stuff,” Taillon said. “So, I don’t want to be head whacking out there, but I have been working hard behind the scenes.”