Tyler Glasnow, 21, was full of promises when he sat on our 2015 Pittsburgh Buccaneers’ top prospects list, which was published in January of that year. We were leading the potential client analyst Kiley McDaniel at the time provided the plus score to Glasnow’s heater and his hook, and thought the taller right hand didn’t. 2 starter potentials.
Despite the injury history including Tommy John’s surgery, Glasnow met expectations. He was selected in 2011 for the overall William S. Hart High School in Santa Clarita, California, and was traded to Tampa Bay Rays in July 2018 (the last trade that Pirates fans hope to forget) and registered for 3.20 ERA and 3.10 FIP in his five seasons. Glasnow then exchanged for the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023 with his ERA of 3.47, 31 times when his current club started. When it fits perfectly, he is the highest quality of the spin, but he has a hard time staying healthy. This season, he developed shoulder inflammation from late April to early July.
What is Glasnow’s 2015 Fangraphs scout report like? Furthermore, what does he think about this over the years? To find out, I shared some of what McDaniel wrote and asked Glasnow to respond to it.
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“Glasnow was selected as a low-key pure bet in the fifth inning of high school in 2011, with a wave-to-average stuff and limited trail.”
“It could be very accurate,” Grasno replied. “I’m the fifth round, it’s easier to throw, throw 89-91 [mph]. I have a nice curve ball, but it’s not very good yet. My stuff is pretty good in high school, but my stuff isn’t real compared to professional ball. I’m a lower Velo, mostly just two pitches, and my changes are poor. ”
“He blew up in 2013, and the fastball dominated the low post at 97 mph. He continued to make 93-96 mph in High-A in 2014 to reach 98 mph.”
“Very accurate,” he agreed. “I’m growing up as myself. It’s mechanical. I used to be very long, late, and I’m just on time more. I’m sure to get stronger. I drafted it at 17, so it’s going to be a combination of age and improved mechanics.”
“Plus curve ball and improve the change.”
“The curve ball is always there,” he said of his first-class circuit breaker. “This change never improved. It’s always awful, so I just stopped throwing it away. I think the last time I was probably in 2019 – that was just a one or two – but when I stopped it was 2017 or 2018, most of the time.
(Statcast last tracked the 2023 Glasnow change when he said he threw five, in 2021 with 34, 2019 in 2020 and 34. Either way, he barely threw in those years and over the past two seasons, he has given up on it altogether.)
“Glasnow’s long limbs have caused some command/delivery challenges that he has made a lot of progress.”
“That was 2015? Yes. Of course it’s better than early on,” said Glasno, who is 6-foot-8. “My walking rate is falling every year. I do have rough attractions around that point. In 2016 and 2017, it got terrible again and then got better. I want to do a little bit [the command issue] No super confidence. Then deliver, repeatability.
When asked to elaborate on his lack of confidence, he said, “I was always so hit and missed every opportunity to start, and I was terrible about why I was terrible.” “I just didn’t have much control over my body. I would say 2015 was a great year, so it was good – even if some were welcome or missed – but 2016 and 2017 in the major leagues, it wasn’t that good. I thought that was when I had the lowest confidence. I got the deal in 2018 and got better.”
“His Velo ticking on the AFL, and now his command and speed pitch are exactly the same, but it seems like a long season, and for a skinny kid, it still adds a huge amount to his frame.”
“I don’t remember being super tired,” he said. “I think one big problem is that there are a lot of times in the minor leagues, I have a good month, a bad month, a good month. Mechanically, things are just… it’s hard to throw the hard work.
“With the incredible ability to direct his curveball, among the potential clients at this level, I only see from José Fernández.”
“I did a good job in 2014,” he recalled. “I still had a pretty high walking rate, but my curve ball was perfect for strikes. I only threw two balls, so it was pretty good in 2014. Sometimes it was horrible, but on many other days, it was good.”
“There is no room for 2 starters to rise, and the risk is less every day.”
“I think when I’m good, it’s obviously I’m fine,” Glasno said. “When I’m bad, it’s obviously I’m bad. I think that’s a fair assessment at that time.”
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Previous “Old Scouting Reports Revisited” interviews can be found through these links: Shane Baz, Cody Bellinger, Matthew Boyd, Dylan Cease, Matt Chapman, Erick Fedde, Kyle Freeland, Max Fried, Lucas Giolito, Randal Grichuk, Ian Happ, Jordan Hicks, Jeff Hoffman, Tanner Houck, Matthew Liberatore, Tyler Mahle, Sean Newcomb, Bailey Ober, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Joe Ryan, Max Scherzer, Marcus Semien.
