The Pittsburgh Pirates had a disappointing 2016 season. As the off-season begins, it is time to grade out the club. Today we take a look at top pitching prospect, Tyler Glasnow
During the offseason, you would have been hard-pressed to find a more hyped prospect than Tyler Glasnow. His pure stuff had many Pirates’ fans dreaming of what he could provide at the top of the rotation.
Over the last handful of seasons, there have been several hyped prospect that fans thought were ready before management. Glasnow was the most recent case of fans believing they know more than the Pirates’ brain trust. Those that believed Glasnow wasn’t quite ready pointed to his inconsistent control as the primary reason for him not being on the big league roster.
Glasnow made his long-awaited debut on July 7th against the Cardinals. He had some great moments but his poor control definitely plagued him. Despite the electric stuff, he allowed five runs in six innings. Glasnow spent a majority of the season pitching out of the bullpen. He was never great but he gained some valuable experience, which should pay dividends in the near future.
Velocity is sexy
During the course of his minor league career, Glasnow earned the reputation of having a great fastball. In his first taste of the big leagues, he delivered on that. He averaged nearly 94MPH on his fastball and he definitely made some good Major League hitters look very bad.
Having a plus fastball isn’t everything but it definitely helps a young pitcher. Glasnow’s control is still developing, so the fastball gives him a great weapon as he doesn’t have to pitch to a certain spot to get outs. He could just throw the ball right past hitters and at times that’s exactly what he did.
The biggest positive for Glasnow’s velocity is it didn’t dip whether he was starting or relieving. He had a fairly consistent average velocity, which should mean when he becomes a full-time starter, he shouldn’t lose much speed.
Who cares if chicks dig the long ball?
In five minor league seasons, Glasnow did a really good job of making sure opposing hitters weren’t able to take him deep. In his minor league career, he owned a very good 0.4HR/9 rate. This is very important for a pitcher with fairly poor control like Glasnow. The only thing worse than allowing a lot of walks, is allowing home runs with men on base.
Glasnow didn’t have the biggest sample size at the MLB level but his HR/9 rate was a stellar 0.8/9. It is nice to see that number be fairly comparable to his minor league career. Preventing the home run is important for any pitcher but especially one trying to find confidence in his ability to get outs in the Big Leagues.
Cut my life into pieces!
Tyler Glasnow is best known for his fastball but by far his most effective pitch was his cutter. He threw it over 150 times and allowed a paltry .205/.300/.364/.664 slash line against.
The cutter was also Glasnow’s best strikeout pitch. He recorded 15 of his 24 strikeouts with his cutter. If this pitch continues to develop, it could become his best weapon. Glasnow also recorded fewer walks with this pitch, so it appears he has slightly better control with this pitch. He also only allowed two extra base hits with the cutter. The sample size still is relatively small but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on in 2017.
Take Control
Glasnow’s biggest flaw should be fairly obvious to anyone that watched him pitch. He struggled with control all through his minor league career and that continued in the Big Leagues. He allowed 13 walks in just over 23 innings. That’s good for a 5.0BB/9, which is something Glasnow desperately needs to improve on.
Walks weren’t the only issue Glasnow had with control. He also managed to hit three batters in his 23.1 innings. The walks coupled with the hit by pitches gave Glasnow a fairly high WHIP of 1.500. Glasnow may never become a pinpoint control pitcher but it’s hard for me to predict great success when his control is as wild as it was during his first go around the Big Leagues. The best hope is he eventually turns into Francisco Liriano when he’s on. The filthy stuff makes him effectively wild.
Two pitches are cool but you know what’s really cool? Three pitches
Glasnow has gotten by on pure stuff for most of his career. He’s basically been a two-pitch pitcher for the bulk of his minor league career. Most successful MLB pitchers obviously have three pitches Glasnow is still trying to find that third pitch.
Glasnow attempted to make the changeup his third pitch but pretty much ignored it the entire season. He threw the changeup only seven times, so it’s really hard to judge how effective it was for him. The limited use does tell me that he has very little confidence in the changeup as a weapon in the Big Leagues. If Glasnow wants to become an elite starting pitcher, he needs to develop a competent third pitch.
Conclusion and Final Grade
Tyler Glasnow showed plenty of flashes of brilliance this season. A DL trip and a return to the minors prevented him from showing what he could do. He still has all the potential in the world and could develop into a top of the rotation starter. However, he really needs to get his control in order, otherwise, it’s hard to picture him turning into an ace-type pitcher.
I am not going to harshly critique a young pitcher who only threw 23.1 MLB innings but he certainly has plenty to work on if he wants to make the Opening Day 2017 roster. For his work, Glasnow earned a C grade from me.
What grade would you give Tyler Glasnow?
Agree with the grade we gave Glasnow? Do you disagree? Be sure to cast your vote in our poll posted below!
We tell you our grade at noon but what grade would YOU give Tyler Glasnow for his first go around the Big Leagues?
— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) October 18, 2016
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