Tyler Glasnow can now laugh about his stint in the Pirates' rotation last season. It wasn't funny at the time, though. He didn't think his 13 starts could go more poorly, and he wondered when he'd finally feel comfortable on the mound again.
"There were points I actually told myself, 'This can't get any worse,' " Glasnow said with a chuckle. "I didn't know what else I could do to feel any worse and put myself at ease, I guess."
Glasnow uttered those words before he pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen in the Pirates's 4-1 loss to the Cardinals on Saturday. Glasnow, still only 24 and two years removed from being ranked No. 14 in Baseball America's Top 100, has emerged as a stabilizing force in the Pirates' bullpen.
He's been given low-leverage innings to learn in the major leagues, yet he expressed confidence he's ready for more meaningful innings. Would that be wise for the Pirates, though?
"I’m pretty competitive," Glasnow said. "I do want to throw in more meaningful innings. Right now I’m getting a groove for things, though. It doesn’t matter what inning it is. It’s nice to get some consistent work."
He has now allowed only one run in his last 11 1/3 innings, and his four-seam fastball reached 98 mph in this latest outing. He threw 100 mph only two days earlier. Additionally, he's averaging 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings and opponents are batting .264 against him.
To compare, opponents had a .328 average and 1.028 OPS against him in his 13 starts last season. He had a 7.89 ERA and 2.00 WHIP during that span. His four-seam fastball has averaged 96 mph after it dropped to 94 during his stint with the Pirates last season. The pitch has also seen the largest increase in spin rate among qualified major league pitchers.
Glasnow made a slight tweak in his mechanics during spring training to allow him to better control the cutting action on the pitch, and its whiff rate has increased nearly 16 percent from last season. His curveball hasn't been as effective as last season, yet the velocity and movement on the fastball has been enough for him to succeed more often than not.
"As we’ve talked in the past, success can enhance confidence," Clint Hurdle said. "He’s gotten to a good place. He continued to work to a good place when things weren’t happening for him as well. There was some early turbulence. He kept working. [Bullpen coach Euclides Rojas] has done a nice job with him out there. He continues to study, to learn, to listen. He’s been on a nice roll. … Today was impressive. He had enough in the tank, he said, to go one more inning, which also shows confidence. … I see the confidence growing, but I see the stuff playing as well and they go hand in hand."
Glasnow threw 20 of his 30 pitches for strikes against the Cardinals, striking out three batters, including Jose Martinez and Jedd Gyorko. He got the latter to swing at a 97-mph fastball well out of the zone after throwing a curveball high and inside for strike two.
Yet, Glasnow is still practically a two-pitch pitcher. He's experimented with a slider, but has only thrown 16 in games. Glasnow has also stopped throwing his sinker after he used it 27 percent of the time last season. If he's unable to control his four-seamer, he doesn't have another pitch to turn to.
"I’ve been throwing the natural cutter," Glasnow said of why he dropped the sinker. "I’ll mix it in again for sure. I think getting a nice stint first [with the cutter is important]. I’ve been talking to [Francisco] Cervelli about it, too. I’ll end up throwing it eventually again."
Glasnow has a 4.88 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 27 2/3 innings, yet five of his 14 appearances came with the Pirates trailing by more than four runs. He has yet to pitch with a lead of fewer than three runs. After all, Glasnow has imploded in two outings this season, allowing four runs to the Cubs last month and six runs in one inning against the Nationals on May 1.
It appears Hurdle has settled on Michael Feliz as the setup man, and Edgar Santana is the go-to reliever to enter high-leverage situations with runners on base. Richard Rodriguez and Kyle Crick have also stabilized middle relief, helping the Pirates' bullpen to have the second-lowest ERA in the majors since they were recalled on April 13.
So, why not leave Glasnow in the role he's currently in? There's value in not allowing an opponent to add on to a three-run deficit, or helping his offense hold on to a significant lead. It gives much-needed rest to relievers who have proven capable of pitching with the game on the line, and it provides Glasnow with the opportunity to continue to learn in the major leagues.
It could also allow him to begin to build up his arsenal to better prepare himself when he's finally asked to start for the Pirates again.
• Austin Meadows will stick around as long as the Pirates can find him regular playing time. They don't want him sitting for more than a few days at a time. It will only hurt his development, and it's not like he's expected to make much of an impact as a pinch-hitter. Adam Frazier will still be the first left-handed hitter called upon, despite his struggles this season.
• Corey Dickerson gets a kick out of watching the analysts on MLB Network trying to break down the swings of hitters across the majors. Dickerson changes his swing at-bat to at-bat. He'll choke up with two strikes and sometimes from the beginning of an at-bat. He'll use a leg kick or drop it if he wants to simplify his approach.
"I'd love to see them try to explain what I do," he said, smiling.
• Jason Martin should be promoted to Triple-A. Martin, a 22-year-old outfielder acquired from the Astros as part of the Gerrit Cole trade, has a .955 OPS with 19 extra-base hits and 23 RBIs in 39 games for Double-A Altoona. The Pirates considered selecting him in the Rule 5 draft. That would have required them to place Martin on the 25-man roster, and he wasn't ready for such a promotion.
The Pirates, though, shouldn't be shy about moving him to Indianapolis now. Martin played in 79 games at Double-A last season, and it would be wise for them to find out how close he could be to helping in the majors. Is it really productive to keep using Pablo Reyes or Eric Wood in the Indians' outfield?
• Kudos to the Rays for trying an unorthodox approach to pitching. If you missed it, they are using relief pitchers to start games. The idea is that a reliever can face the top of the order, getting three to six outs over one or two innings. Then, one of the Rays' young starters takes over.
The plan is designed to allow starters to pitch deeper into games, preventing them from having to face the top-of-the-order batters a third time. The plan has been met with criticism — the Angels' Zack Cozart said it's a way for teams to not have to adequately pay starting pitchers — however, it's worked for a team that is short on quality starters.
Teams with similar personnel could consider the move. The Pirates won't, though. One could argue they have nine starting pitchers who could be in the Rays' rotation. Additionally, they have two long relievers — Steven Brault and Glasnow — capable of taking over for any starter who may struggle in that third time facing a team's best hitters.
"It is interesting," Neal Huntington said. "We'll dive into it a little bit. We like our rotation, the ability to get right or left out of the gate. But it is something that's an interesting concept. Twenty years from now, when you guys are talking to somebody ... maybe that's the norm. We'll see."
• Much respect for how George Kontos handled the news he was designated for assignment. The 32-year-old took ownership of his mistakes on the mound while also expressing confidence he'll be successful again. There weren't combative answers. That said, the Pirates will miss his leadership. During spring training, Kontos would walk around the clubhouse at Pirate City to make sure every reliever was attending a mandatory meeting.
Now, Felipe Vazquez will step into that leadership role.
• Although the move had to be made, it's another hit to the Pirates' pitching depth. Their bullpen at Triple-A isn't great. Dovydas Neverauskas has 0.94 WHIP in 18 innings there; however, opponents batted .367 against him in his seven appearances with the Pirates earlier this season.
Josh Smoker has also allowed 13 hits in 15 1/3 innings there. Bo Schultz, a right-hander signed to a minor-league contract in the offseason, has allowed at least two hits in three of his last four appearances. Clay Holmes, a starting pitcher, has a 1.57 WHIP in 35 innings. Jesus Liranzo, a 23-year-old right-hander claimed off waivers from the Dodgers last month, was promoted from Double-A this week and can throw 100 mph, yet he allowed two earned runs in his last appearance.
• Kevin Newman is one of the next in line to receive an opportunity in the major leagues. Newman, a first-round draft pick in 2015, is batting .300 in his last 10 games . The 24-year-old shortstop has slashed .319/.355/.405 with 12 extra-base hits and 13 RBIs in 40 games.
He's also now splitting time between second base and shortstop after playing the latter for much of his minor-league career. That versatility will serve him well when or if another injury occurs in the Pirates' infield. It likely wouldn't be in anything other than a short audition, though. After all, he has fewer than 350 at-bats in Triple-A.