Pittsburgh Pirates Wake Up Call – Same old woes for Glasnow

In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.

Tyler Glasnow returned to a major league mound Wednesday for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but it didn’t last long.

Glasnow, whose struggles with control have been heavily discussed in the past, once again had trouble with command, walking six in 2.2 innings. Glasnow surrendered four hits and allowed five earned runs as he threw 77 pitches and only 40 for strikes.

Once regarded as the Pirates top prospect and one of the best in all of baseball, Glasnow has really failed to produce at the major league level, sporting a 6.83 ERA in 20 career appearances (17 starts). This season in particular, Glasnow is sporting an ERA nearing eight in 13 starts. Opposing hitters are hitting .320 against him this season and while he has struck out 53 batters in 57 innings, he has walked 35 in that span.

I think there is a reality Pirates fans and those in the organization must face: Glasnow is what he is. He is a stellar minor league pitcher who posted a 9-2 record along with a 1.93 ERA in 15 starts this season, but he may never be able to put it together in the same fashion at the highest level.

I’ve said it before that Glasnow could make a stellar reliever and I still believe that. Though it is a short sample size, Glasnow has allowed two earned runs on seven hits in seven innings of relief while walking three and striking out eight.

I know his control issues could be cause for concern especially if he were in a late inning relief role. I mean, no one wants to see someone walking a ton of guys late in close games. However, who is to say he couldn’t possibly succeed in a long relief role. I know it’s a longshot, but I really feel as if it could happen for him.

In his defense, there were some pitches he threw against Milwaukee Wednesday that should have gone in his favor. When he’s not getting calls from umpires on clear strikes, you know he’s in for a long day. However, it’s up to him not to allow that to spiral out of control.

There is nothing I would like to see more than to witness Glasnow succeed. Not just because of the hype, but because you know that despite the struggles, he is working hard to try and fix things.

There is no doubt about the talent Glasnow possesses, but he still has yet to put it all together. There is more than enough time for the 24 year old to do so, but there is still a lot of work for him to do in order to reach his full potential.

Baseball Talk on the Web

• In game pitch clock may be in MLB as soon as next year.
• Fans in Boston were removed Wednesday after dropping down a banner from the green monster that read “Racism is as American as baseball.”

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