PHOENIX –– After Joe Ryan was scratched from Team USA’s roster for the group stage of the World Baseball Classic last week, one Dodgers player glanced toward Tyler Glasnow’s locker at Camelback Ranch and wondered aloud:
Why wasn’t the Dodgers’ All-Star right-hander picked to be a replacement?
The answer: He had other priorities this spring.
Late last season, Glasnow found a comfort level that had eluded him for much of his first two years in the Dodgers organization, when injuries and inconsistent performance marred his acclimation to the team.
For starters, he was healthy, returning from an early-season shoulder issue (as well as the elbow problem that ended his 2024 campaign early) to pitch the second half of the year without any significant disruptions.
But more importantly, he was convinced in his mechanics; embracing delivery tweaks that pitching coaches Mark Prior and Connor McGuiness suggested ahead of the postseason, en route to what became a dominant October performance.
In six playoff outings, Glasnow did it all for the Dodgers, posting a 1.69 ERA that (among teammates with more than five postseason innings) was bested only by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.
The team went 3-0 in his three starts, highlighted by his scoreless six-inning gem in their National League Division Series clincher against the Philadelphia Phillies. Three other times, he pitched in relief, including a first-career save in Game 6 of the World Series and 2 ⅓ crucial innings in Game 7 the following night.
By the end of the team’s title run, the 32-year-old was described by manager Dave Roberts as the player who “grew as much as anyone” over the course of the season.
And going into the winter, Glasnow felt he’d finally formed a stable foundation –– one he saw a chance to build upon entering 2026.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
