Pirates Believe In Tyler Glasnow’s Upside

PITTSBURGH—After ranking as the organization’s top prospect heading into 2015 and 2016, righthander Tyler Glasnow slipped to No. 3 this season. However, Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage still believes he has the ceiling of a No. 1 starter.

Searage is eagerly anticipating the start of spring training and the improvement he believes Glasnow will show after making his big league debut last season.

“I think maybe about halfway through spring training, people are going to watch Tyler and go, ‘Holy schnikes!,’” Searage said.

The 23-year-old Glasnow went 0-2, 4.24 in seven games, including four starts, in his debut. That followed an impressive 20-start performance at Triple-A Indianapolis in which he went 8-3, 1.87 in 110.2 innings with 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

Searage believes Glasnow, a 2011 fifth-round pick out of high school in Santa Clarita, Calif., became too analytical when he reached Pittsburgh. He concentrated more on attacking hitters’ weaknesses rather than pitching to his strengths that includes a high-90s fastball and hammer breaking ball.

“That’s all he’s got to do—trust his stuff because he’s got talent out the yin-yang,” Searage said.

Glasnow recorded 24 strikeouts in his first major league trial, better than one per inning. However, control continued to be a problem. He gave up 13 walks after allowing 5.0 per nine innings at Indianapolis.

Some evaluators believe the 6-foot-8 Glasnow might fit better as a multi-inning reliever. However, the Pirates have no plans to convert him to the bullpen, and he will compete for a spot in the rotation this spring.

Glasnow believes he is ready for the opportunity, though having two minor league options remaining could hurt his chances.

“Everything felt fake until I got to the big leagues,” Glasnow said. “Now that I got there, OK, it’s real now. I’ve seen the competition. I’ve seen the hitters. They’re good. I’m not trying to be cocky, but I feel like I’m better than a lot of them.”

PITTBURGERS

• Catcher Elias Diaz is expected to be healthy for the start of spring training. Last year, he had elbow surgery in May, then an infection developed in his leg in September and he strained an oblique muscle in December while playing winter ball in his native Venezuela.

• First baseman Josh Bell had surgery on his left knee to remove loose bodies and is out of action for two to four weeks. It is unclear if he’ll be ready for Opening Day.