Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow, who remains dominant, hopes his offseason changes keep him that way

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LOS ANGELES — Tyler Glasnow’s first fastball tipped off the bat of Michael Harris II and came in at 95 mph. The next pitch was a sinker that dove towards the knees at 98 mph. That proved discombobulating enough that when Glasnow followed with a curveball that broke and landed at the belt, Harris swung right through it for strike three.

That’s how quickly Glasnow’s 2025 began, and how easy the Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander can make things look. There might not be a more overpowering pitcher in baseball when things are going well. When he’s right, it doesn’t matter what type of bat is used to hit against him: regular, torpedo or cricket. None of the options the Atlanta Braves strode up to the plate with on Monday night seemed all that useful.

“I’m not gonna lie, that was the nastiest I’ve seen him,” Harris said after the Dodgers’ 6-1 win over the Braves. “It was, I guess, 98, but felt like 103.”

Said manager Dave Roberts: “Tyler was in his rhythm.”

It doesn’t take deep analysis to dream on nights like Monday, when Glasnow looked like a pitcher whose ceiling might be the only thing higher than his 6-foot-8 frame. Glasnow struck out eight over five scoreless innings, helping the Dodgers improve to 6-0, matching the best start the franchise has seen since moving to Los Angeles.

That the Dodgers won their first five games of the season before Glasnow even threw an official pitch this season speaks to their embarrassment of riches. Glasnow was their Opening Day starter just last year. And with each nine-figure contract fetched by a starting pitcher, the $136.5 million extension the team gave Glasnow upon trading for him last offseason looks more and more tame.

“He’s one of the best pitchers in the game,” catcher Will Smith said.

Tyler Glasnow’s first start since 8/11/2024:

5 IP
2 H
0 R
3 BB
8 K pic.twitter.com/mwd3U6yHP8

— MLB (@MLB) April 1, 2025

But the desire to keep adding to their rotation depth reflects the predicament the Dodgers found themselves in last October. They acquired Glasnow in hopes of him starting a postseason game. But despite setting career marks in starts and innings pitched, while also becoming a first-time All-Star, Glasnow threw his final pitch of the season on Aug. 11. He felt something in his elbow that didn’t feel better until shortly after the Dodgers won the World Series with just three healthy starters

Glasnow spent this winter looking at preventative measures to keep his elbow from barking. Consultation with the Dodgers and biomechanics specialists resulted in at least one change focusing on how he came down the mound. Focusing on “spine angle,” Glasnow said, might reduce the strain on his elbow. His massive frame already makes it feel like his hand is extending nearly all the way to the batter’s box before releasing a pitch. He doesn’t have to overdo it.

His efforts to stay healthy continued into this spring, when pitching coaches Mark Prior and Connor McGuiness approached Glasnow with tweaks. Throwing weighted balls had helped Glasnow spike his velocity, but the right-hander theorized that it had caused his elbow to hurt.

So he ditched the weighted and plyometric balls for a more expansive long toss program. Instead of throwing aggressively from 120 feet, he gradually built up, expending less effort as he stretched things out to 250 feet. Along with it, Prior and McGuiness emphasized working on generating forward momentum instead of staying upright with his delivery. Doing so, and properly aligning his hands as he drove his front leg, allowed a more compact, consistent throw.

“It just seems like I can use a lot less effort and get the same stuff,” Glasnow said.

The ingredients are still tantalizing. Glasnow touched 98 mph with his fastball. Seven of the 10 hacks against his curveball resulted in a swing and miss. He didn’t obsess over his delivery.

“I think it’s the least I’ve thought mechanically in a long time,” Glasnow said. “I feel athletic and free and good.”

His toughest challenge looked to be home-plate umpire Dan Bellino’s strike zone, as he still issued three free passes. Consecutive walks to lead off the second inning represented the Braves’ biggest threat. Rookie catcher Drake Baldwin jumped on a curveball that started up and stayed up, driving it to the wall before Andy Pages leapt and snagged it in center field. Two pop-ups later, Glasnow kept cruising.

“That inning was a game-changer,” Roberts said.

It took until a sharp Jarred Kelenic grounder in the fifth inning for Atlanta to record its first hit. Two batters later, Harris followed with one of his own. Glasnow dispatched Austin Riley with ease to end the threat.

Roberts greeted him with a hug after just 79 pitches. He hadn’t thrown more than 73 pitches all spring. That’s how quickly Glasnow’s night wrapped up, because the Dodgers still have the future in mind. This version of Glasnow is something they hope will show up in October, not just on the last night of March.

“Tonight was a good stepping stone moving forward,” Roberts said.

(Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)

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