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Meet the Guy Who is in Charge Of Those Top Pitching Prospects in Indianapolis

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INDIANAPOLIS – The Pirates got a lot of attention for their recent success this off-season, with front office members, coaches, and minor league personnel getting jobs and job offers around the league. One of the many people who interviewed for a job with another team was Indianapolis Pitching Coach Stan Kyles, who interviewed for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ bullpen coach position.

Kyles was previously the bullpen coach for the Milwaukee Brewers before being let go in 2012, and arriving in the Pirates’ system in 2013. He started off as the pitching coach in Altoona in 2013 and 2014, before moving up to Indianapolis last year. Getting another look at an MLB job was a good thing for Kyles, as people are still taking notice of his abilities, even after previously being in the role with another team.

“Any time people come to you and show that they’re interested and like the work that you do, it’s a good feeling,” Kyles said. “Any time it happens, I’m looking forward to it. It’s a nice place to be. This is a great place to be, too. We’re dealing with something special over here. If something else comes up that’s nice, a nice promotion, I’m all for it. But I’m pretty happy where I’m at now.”

Kyles is absolutely in a good position this year, coaching arguably the best group of pitching prospects in any Triple-A rotation. He’s got two of the top prospects in the game in Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon, plus future MLB pitchers in Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault, and Trevor Williams. That’s going to be a calling card next off-season if any coach ever had one. But what is it exactly that makes Kyles such a good pitching coach, worthy of getting attention for an MLB job?

To figure this out, I thought I’d ask those pitchers that Kyles is working with this year.

What Makes Stan Kyles Such a Good Pitching Coach?

Jameson Taillon – “He was my pitching coach in Double-A in 2013, so I have a pretty good relationship with him. I think one of the biggest jobs for a pitching coach is a comfort factor. You want to come to the park, you want to work with them. Everyday is exciting. He’s got a good sense of humor. He knows pitching, he knows the game. He’s not so mechanical, compared to some pitching guys. He’s all about mentality, attacking, quick arm speed, and getting your work in between starts. Really, people just enjoy showing up and going to work with him. Kind of the same thing as Ray Searage, from what I’ve heard. People enjoy seeing him everyday. He brings a good energy, positive vibes.”

Tyler Glasnow – “I just think he knows what it’s like to pitch. Some coaches I feel like sometimes can get out of touch with how it really is. I feel like the further you get away from it, and the longer you don’t play, it just seems easier and easier. Even when you’re in the stands watching it, it’s like ‘Wow, this game is really easy.’ But you get out there and it’s a lot harder than it looks. I think he really has a good grasp on what pitchers need to do to succeed. He’s not an emotional guy. He’s not going to blow up on you if you do bad. He’s not going to be all happy if you do good. He’s just an even keel coach, and he’s just really in touch with how pitching is. As a player, I appreciate the consistency of what he brings to the field everyday.”

Chad Kuhl – “I think he has a good feel for pitchers. He’s not just a cookie-cutter guy. He understands what’s going on with each guy, and that’s been really nice, because he can personalize it. His main goal is to create big league pitchers. In our pitcher meetings, that’s what he’s harping on. He’s not just trying to win here, but he wants to create big league guys.”

Analysis – Kyles never pitched in the majors, but did have an 11 year minor league career, reaching the Triple-A level. He’s been a coach for 26 years, making it up to the majors as a bullpen coach in the process. He clearly comes in with a lot of experience, and based on the comments, he really connects with his pitchers, which is a key for any pitching coach.

What Are You Working on With Kyles This Year?

Tyler Glasnow – “He’s more of a mental guy. He’s not going to be a guy who comes up and tells me to fix mechanical stuff. When things are going bad, he really thinks it all starts with a thought. He’s been getting me really big into pitch sequences, and changes up my bullpen routine a little bit. Getting a better feel for my off-speed stuff, and getting into a better mode of pitching. I think it’s helped a lot.”

Jameson Taillon – “We’ve been working on changeups, getting them in there in certain counts. Right now we’re trying to nail fastballs down and away to right-handed hitters. There’s always something he can pick in your game to try and improve on. One thing he’s really good at too is game planning with catchers and pitchers, getting us together. That’s something at the lower levels I don’t think we work on as much. You get up here and you start executing the game plan. He reads hitters, and helps you break down the swings and tendencies.”

Chad Kuhl – “Arm speed. Being able to throw the slider with the same arm speed [as the fastball]. That’s a big thing of his, is having that arm speed to start the innings, taking care of your warm-ups in between innings, so you’re ready for the first hitter who steps in there… It’s something that I think every pitcher goes through. You learn what your body is doing, especially with form, and pitches, and stuff like that. It’s something that has come along a great deal.”

Analysis – The earlier comments about how Kyles isn’t a cookie cutter guy really shines through here. The work with all three pitchers seems different, with Kuhl working on a specific pitch, Taillon fine tuning a few key points in his game, and Glasnow getting an approach that’s geared more towards pitching mentality and routine. I thought Taillon’s comment about work with the catchers was interesting, so I asked Jacob Stallings about the work with Kyles.

How Does He Incorporate the Catchers?

Jacob Stallings – “We have a meeting before every series about the hitters on the other team. Every pitcher is in that meeting, and [the catchers] are obviously in those meetings. We’re able to get on the same page. He’s done extensive video work on each hitter before we get in those meetings. He gives us a message of what he’s seen. He’s always so prepared, and his demeanor, especially in games, is really good.”

Stallings could only compare Kyles to one other pitching coach in the system, but that coach is another guy who is starting to get some attention as a promising coach.

“I’ve been with [Justin] Meccage for my whole career except this year. I think it’s pretty much an organizational thing, just with the pitcher and catcher and pitching coach meeting before every game. They’re very similar to the way Mess ran them. Mess always watched video too, and was always prepared. I think just getting here, and seeing that Stan does just as good of a job, it helps me out, going into the game knowing how we’re going to attack hitters so I can execute the plan. It makes me look a little smarter, I guess.”

And What About the Most Important Thing, Developing MLB Players?

Jameson Taillon had some additional feedback on Kyles, noting that he sees the difference between what works in Triple-A, and what works in the majors, and relays that to the pitchers.

“He’s very honest. He’ll give you honest feedback, which is great. A big thing in Triple-A is he wants to develop big league pitchers. If you throw a changeup that might have gotten a good result here, or might have gotten a called strike, but he doesn’t think it’s sharp enough to play up in Pittsburgh, he’ll let you know, and let you know what you can do to get it back down and get better results up there. As you’ve seen, there have been a lot of good results here, statistics-wise. There’s no complacency, because he is always telling each pitcher some different things, like ‘You did this well in your last start, but you could improve on this to make it work in Pittsburgh a little better.'”

Overall, Kyles is a guy who has a lot of experience, seems to develop a good relationship with his pitchers, and doesn’t take the same approach with each guy, instead taking the approach that fits each guy. It’s not a surprise that he got attention last year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets attention again this year, especially after working with this group of pitchers. It will definitely draw a lot of attention to him if they start coming up and having success in their MLB debuts.

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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