"Sucking in Pittsburgh" - Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow calls tough Pirates start 'biggest help' in improving his mental game

Tyler Glasnow is proving to be an inspired piece of business for the Los Angeles Dodgers. While his skill was never in doubt, the pitcher has settled in very well amid the franchise's superstars. The Dodgers are arguably the strongest team in the MLB on paper, and at 26-13 and atop the NL West, that's translating onto the field.

On the "Diggin Deep Podcast" this week, one of the questions he answered was what he does to work on his mind. Glasnow, who describes himself as "Swirly," recognized that his psychological game lags behind his physical skills, especially at the start of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates:

"There's a lot of stuff, I guess. That's also evolved. I think that I was blessed physically from the jump, and I think my mental game is like, so weak compared to my physical game early on in pro ball. I realize that too, in the early part of my career.

"We would have so many conversations on that but I think the biggest thing that helped me the most was sucking in Pittsburgh. That was the only thing that really prepared me."

Glasnow was drafted by the Pirates in 2011. He went 3-11 with the franchise, recording a 5.79 ERA across three years before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. Flash forward to now, and the ace is amid his first campaign with the LA Dodgers.

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Tyler Glasnow recognizes that working harder is not always the answer

While the old adage reads 'practice makes perfect,' sometimes a more applicable phrase would be 'practice makes permanent.' When training in the wrong way, or practicing in the wrong manner, often poor techniques are reinforced and trying to force the issue only exacerbates the problem.

Tyler Glasnow discussed another adjustment he made and recognized that working harder is not always the answer:

"Another big adjustment was to stop trying to be perfect. My whole life, I was like, the Western idea is work harder, everything will be better. Work harder is always the answer. More is more. And the older I got, the more I realized that's not true. You have to do what you can, work on what you can and then give it a rest."

With Tyler Glasnow looking strong with the LA Dodgers, it certainly seems like his adjustments have been effective. Glasnow is 6-1 in 2024 and has recorded a 2.70 ERA across 50 innings pitched.