According to a source, the Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting pitcher Tyler Glasnow to Triple-A Indianapolis today. Glasnow is rated as our number one prospect in the organization, and he is listed as the 7th best prospect in the minors by Baseball America.
Glasnow has a 2.43 ERA in 63 innings this year at Double-A, with 82 strikeouts and only 19 walks, averaging a 2.7 BB/9. In his last four starts, Glasnow has a 1.80 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 6 walks. Opposing batters are hitting .149 against him in that span.
Neal Huntington expressed again on Sunday that Glasnow needed to refine mechanics and repeatability in his changeup.
“Once he accomplishes the things we feel like he needs to accomplish to get to the next level,” said Huntington, “we’ll move him to the next level.”
In his last start for Altoona on Sunday, Glasnow threw 10 changeups that sat between 88-90 MPH with action. Altoona Pitching Coach Justin Meccage was very impressed with the pitch.
“He threw three or four changeups to Nick Swisher, and Swisher swung through two of them,” Meccage said. “Any time you can get [a Major League hitter] out, it gives you confidence, and that’s something he hasn’t had a whole lot of in the changeup. The result of what he did against Swisher will help that confidence.”
Glasnow has accomplished everything he needed to accomplish at Double-A. He is walking about half as many batters as he did in 2013 and 2014. The fastball is explosive, as everyone knows, and he has been able to use the curveball both early and late in the count. The curveball is almost unhittable when he is hitting his spots and throwing it at the right times.
As I wrote last week about Glasnow, the last step for him at Double-A was that changeup, and every single person in the Pirates organization was not afraid to say that. From Justin Meccage to Larry Broadway to Neal Huntington, everyone wanted to see more from the changeup. After Sunday’s performance, the organization apparently felt that he has developed the pitch enough to merit a promotion.
UPDATE 10:14 AM: The Pirates have announced the move, saying that Glasnow is expected to make his debut in Indianapolis on Saturday. Neal Huntington had the following statement.
“We are pleased with Tyler’s development and believe he is ready for the next set of challenges in his career,” said General Manager Neal Huntington.
UPDATE 10:34 AM: Talked to Larry Broadway last night in Altoona, and he had the following to say about Glasnow’s changeup.
“The changeup has come along tremendously over the last two months. It’s been really fun to see. He’s been locked in. His fastball command is locked in. Off-speed pitches for strikes have been locked in.”
