Pitchers and catchers will start reporting to spring training facilities in just about a month, which means we are inching closer to the start of baseball season. This is certainly a welcoming thought, especially with the snowstorm that is predicted to hit the northeast this weekend. But with the start of another season just around the corner, it’s time for Major League Baseball to update their official list of the top prospects in the game.
MLBPipeline.com will unveil their top 100 prospects in the game on January 29th, but leading up to that they’ll rank the top 10 prospects at each position. The first list, by Jim Callis, was released on January 19th and focused on right handed pitching prospects. Fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t have to read too far into the list before they ran into a name who should be mentioned a lot in Pittsburgh next season as Tyler Glasnow was ranked the second best right-handed pitching prospect in baseball heading into 2016.
By now, Glasnow’s name should be familiar to even the most casual Pirates fan. Last season, Glasnow made stops at three different levels of the minor league system, ending the season with the Indianapolis Indians, just one step away from the big leagues.
After a quick glance at Glasnow’s numbers from last season (and his minor league career overall), it’s easy to see why his arrival is so anticipated. Last year he went 7-5 with a 2.39 ERA and in 109.1 innings of work he struck out an impressive 136 while walking 43. In his four minor league seasons, Glasnow has put together a 28-16 record along with a 2.07 ERA. He has also struck out 501 hitters in just 383.1 innings. These statistics show why Glasnow profiles as a top of the rotation starter.
Barring an injury, Glasnow should make his debut with the Pirates sometime this summer. It’s almost unheard of for the Pirates to start a rookie right out of camp due to the potential loss of a year of control if the player qualifies for Super 2 status, however, so Glasnow will most likely be in Pittsburgh by June.
Once Glasnow and Jameson Taillon, another top prospect in the system who should make his debut next season, arrive, the Pirates will have potentially one of better young starting rotations in baseball. They may not be as good as what the Mets have, but they’ll have a trio of young flamethrowers who can match up with anyone in the NL Central and set the team up for years of success.
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