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Pittsburgh Pirates 2016 Top Prospects: #1 – Tyler Glasnow

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The Pirates Prospects 2016 Prospect Guide is now on sale. The book features prospect reports on everyone in the system, the 2016 top 50 prospects, and the most comprehensive coverage of the Pirates’ farm system that you can find. Subscribers to the site get free and discounted books, with Top Prospect subscribers getting the 2016 book for free, and Annual subscribers getting $10 off. Both levels of subscribers can also get the book for just $5. Details on all three promotions can be found on the products page, and you can subscribe to the site or upgrade your current plan on the subscriptions page.

Over the last month, we’ve been releasing one prospect per day from our top 20 list, concluding with no surprises today. If you’ve enjoyed these reports, you should definitely buy the 2016 Prospect Guide, as it has 30 more full-page reports like this for the rest of our top 50 prospects, plus reports on every other prospect in the system.

To recap the countdown so far:

20. Willy Garcia, RF
19. Clay Holmes, RHP
18. Mitch Keller, RHP
17. Max Moroff, 2B
16. Chad Kuhl, RHP
15. Cole Tucker, SS
14. Stephen Tarpley, LHP
13. Steven Brault, LHP
12. Yeudy Garcia, RHP
11. Kevin Newman, SS
10. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B
9. Nick Kingham, RHP
8. Elias Diaz, C
7. Reese McGuire, C
6. Harold Ramirez, OF
5. Alen Hanson, 2B
4. Jameson Taillon, RHP
3. Josh Bell, 1B
2. Austin Meadows, OF

We conclude the countdown with the number 1 prospect, Tyler Glasnow.

1. Tyler Glasnow, RHP

For several years, the Pirates drafted over-slot prep pitchers in the middle rounds, with the hope that one of them would develop in the system and eventually become a top prospect. Glasnow is that pitcher. He entered the system with an 88-92 MPH fastball, but quickly saw his velocity jump to the 94-97 MPH range, touching as high as 100. The fastball not only has velocity, but also has a steep downward plane, which is extreme when coming from his high release point. That makes him extremely difficult to hit. He also throws a curve that is a plus offering when it’s on, and a changeup that has been making strides the last two years.

A big issue for Glasnow has been a lack of control, although he has shown some improvements with that as he has moved up each level, with his best walk rate coming in Altoona in 2015. He struggled in his first run through Indianapolis, and will need to show better control numbers before making the jump to the majors. The control issues come from his tall frame, and problems with repeating his delivery. He also has trouble throwing his off-speed stuff for strikes, which can allow hitters to sit back and wait on the fastball. That is still difficult for minor league hitters to do, but MLB hitters should have an easier time if he doesn’t learn how to drop the curve in for strikes in the early counts.

Glasnow dealt with a minor ankle injury which limited his season. Even with the limitations, the Pirates got him plenty of innings in Triple-A. He will return to the level in 2016, where he will look to show better control, while learning to throw his curveball for strikes early in the count. His changeup also needs continued improvements, as it has good movement, but needs to consistently be in the mid-to-upper 80s to provide some separation from his fastball. Glasnow’s upside is a number one starter in the majors. He might not reach that ceiling right away, but should be ready for a call-up to produce in the rotation by mid-season.

Click Here to Purchase the Pirates Prospects 2016 Prospect Guide

Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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