09/14/2026
What kind of pitcher are you?
How the failed Tyler Glasnow & why he found success after leaving… How this lesson might apply to you.
“You need not know who you are…it’s enough to know what you are not” is an Often used adage across self improvement works.
Tyler Glasnow was traded to the on July 31, 2018. Almost immediately- he began to improve.
Glasnow’s leap is one of the cleaner “same stuff, better plan” stories in recent baseball. With he was a high-upside prospect with elite raw tools and terrible results. After the July 31, 2018 trade to Tampa Bay (then later the Dodgers), he became a high-strikeout, low-walk starter.
📉Pirates (2016–18): 141.1 IP, 5.79 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 5.8 BB/9, −1.7 WAR
📉Rays (2018–23): 388.1 IP, 3.20 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 12.2 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, +8.7 WAR
📉Dodgers (2024–26, through mid-Sept): 286.0 IP, 3.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, +5.5 WAR
The Pirates employed an east west strategy (Sinker + Slider) and encouraged Glasnow to locate with little room for error. What the Bucs didn’t realize: given Tyler’s unique skill set and physical tools….He was much more effective working at the top and bottom of the zone tunneling a four seam with a breaking ball….and his “stuff” would allow him to get away with it.
What actually changed
1. Lower walk rate
The Pirates version walked 12–14% of batters (BB/9 over 5). After the trade, walks collapsed. In 2019 he posted a 1.78 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 2.08 BB/9. The stuff was always there; he finally threw enough strikes to use it.
2. The Rays flipped his fastball plan.
Pittsburgh’s organizational dogma was downhill, low in the zone, sinker-heavy. Glasnow is 6-foot-8 with huge extension, so that heater plays up at the top of the zone. Tampa told him to attack the upper third and tunnel a 12-to-6 curve off the same slot. He also added a slider in 2018. Strike rate jumped from near the bottom of the league to near the top.
3. Velocity ticked up and stayed there.
Four-seam sat ~93.5–95 mph in Pittsburgh and ~96–97+ with the Rays (touching 100). Mechanics work (sitting into the back hip instead of falling toward third base) plus a “think less on the mound” approach helped.
4. The Dodgers added a fourth look.
In LA he brought back a high-spin sinker (especially vs. lefties) so he is no longer a two- or three-pitch guy. Recent mix is roughly four-seam + sinker + curve/knuckle-curve + slider. That has kept lefties from sitting on the high heat
We recently had hard throwing 2030 Braylon Steinsdoerfer (North Hills) in the lab where we discussed what he did well/ what he didn’t. What his body liked to do.. and what it wasn’t exactly organized to do.
Knowing this information makes his development over the next three years - more navigable 🚤
Media: 📼📀🎞️
📊 Glasnow splits with 🏴☠️, Rays & LA
🐦 Early 2020 tweet were we share an answer to a PGH media member as to why Glasnow is “better” now
🎥 (in comments) experimenting with a split change (designed to catch SSW) as he seeks a compliment to his sweeper
🎥 (in comments) Steinsdoerfer whipping one 😵💫
