Rays news: Tyler Glasnow wins American League Pitcher of the Month

Tyler Glasnow has been a topical individual as of late, largely due to him uncannily looking like Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy. While indeed their resemblance deserves the press it has been getting, Glasnow’s recent performance on the mound is the real story, as he has taken his game to the next level.

Glasnow was named July’s American League Pitcher of the Month, taking home the honor for the second time in his career. He had an impressive 2.11 ERA across the 6 starts he made, getting 51 batters out via the strikeout. Glasnow’s stuff was electric all month, but his command was also top-notch. Across 38⅓ innings, Glasnow only issued eight total walks. This ability to generate whiffs while not allowing many free passes to first base makes Glasnow valuable.

All concerns that Glasnow would struggle following his return from Tommy John Surgery have quickly been put to rest. Glasnow’s average fastball velocity still sits above 96mph per Statcast, one of the better marks among starting pitchers. His slider averages just under 90mph, which combined with its excellent movement makes it one of the most brutal to hit pitches in the Majors. His best pitch though is his curveball, which combines 84mph and 53 inches of drop to induce an over 50% whiff rate.

Glasnow’s advanced metrics this year prove that he isn’t just July’s best pitcher, he might be the American League’s best pitcher. Among starting pitchers with at least 60 innings pitched, Glasnow leads the American League in SIERA, a stat that aims to estimate a pitcher’s ERA based on batted ball data. He also leads the American League in strikeout percentage, only trailing Spencer Strider in all of MLB. These stats become more impressive when you account for the fact that Glasnow struggled in his first few starts of the season.

Tyler Glasnow is not just Cillian Murphy's doppelganger, he is statistically one of the best players in all of baseball, and winning Player of the Month proves that. Glasnow might just be the best pitcher in the entire American League, and he will look to prove this for a Tampa Bay Rays team that believes they can win the World Series.