2025 NLCS: Tyler Glasnow — mind, body and control
by Cary Osborne
Tyler Glasnow is admittedly obsessive about his craft. He is a thinker and tinkerer. He and Dodger coaches have said how his long levers and tall frame can sometimes work against him, throwing his delivery out of whack.
But his last start — his first in the postseason as a Dodger — was a self-trusting point.
Glasnow is approaching today’s start in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series with a similar approach.
“Just try not to do too much and not make it bigger than it needs to be,” he said. “Just gameplan like a normal start and let the extra adrenaline kind of have my stuff play up. … Just treat it normal. I think it helped me with my last start in Philly.”
It was a considerably big game with the Dodgers having the chance to clinch the National League Division Series in Game 4 on Oct. 9. And Glasnow went out and pitched his best postseason game in 12 career playoff outings with his six shutout innings.
“I wasn’t in the game while he was pitching, so for me watching from the side it was kind of pure baseball joy,” said Max Muncy. “Just watching him go out there and do his thing was really, really cool.”
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The parts that the Dodgers were most impressed with was with how Glasnow handled the early difficulties and competed, even as he worked through some early delivery issues.
“I think trying to be perfect, worrying about things that are, you know, out of your control, I think that those are things that he’s stayed away from and focused on making pitches, staying in the moment and being in compete mode,” said manager Dave Roberts. “When you’re like that, I think you’re going to get the best of Tyler. And I think he’s done that and gotten considerably better, and the performance has reflected that.”
The Phillies had runners on the corners in the first inning after a Kyle Schwarber double and Alec Bohm walk. Glasnow struck out Brandon Marsh to post a zero on the board in the first inning.
The right-hander went on a run beginning with Marsh — eight batters retired in a row. Glasnow retired 16 of the final 19 batters he faced, allowing one hit.
“I think where his growth has been this year is understanding what the common objective is, is trying to get outs and really trying to just find a way if (the delivery is) not perfectly lined up,” said Dodger pitching coach Mark Prior. “And that’s where it’s been fun to watch him this year is even when he doesn’t feel 100 percent perfect with his delivery, he knows that it could flip in one second. He can get one curveball in there or one fastball and he’ll lock in. And that’s where he’s been.
“That Philadelphia game was a great example of that. He wasn’t quite synced up the way he expects to be. But by the second inning, third inning, he started really getting in a groove and finding himself.”
Prior also goes back to Glasnow’s start against the Giants on Sept. 20. Things were ugly early — a 43-pitch first inning in which the Dodger starter faced 10 batters and allowed four runs. Glasnow turned in scoreless second through fifth innings, and the Dodgers came back to beat the Giants 7–5.
Aug. 4 against the Cardinals is another example. Four of the first eight Cardinals reached base. Then he retired 17 of the next 18 batters.
He has shown another gear this season. It helps when one has this:
“He’s a special talent,” Prior said. “Everybody’s said it. But his raw stuff is, he’s top five in baseball. And when it’s lined up, it’s fun to watch. He can do a lot of things, and he can make really good hitters look not as good of hitters that they are.”
2025 NLCS: Tyler Glasnow — mind, body and control was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.