Around the Curve | Curve in the Majors - Vol. 4

CURVE, PA. – Altoona has been a pipeline to the Major Leagues for nearly 26 years, with the current alumni count at 215 players achieving their dreams of becoming a big leaguer. This season, we want to look at some of the exciting accomplishments our alumni are achieving at the Major League level. Every week, we will spotlight a handful of players succeeding at the next level and reflect on their time with the Curve, here on the Around the Curve Blog! Here is the fourth edition of: “Curve in the Majors.”

1. RHP - Tyler Glasnow - Los Angeles Dodgers

Season Stats: 6-5, 3.24 ERA, 14 Games (14 Starts) 86 IP, 24 BBs, 116 Ks

Where do we start on Tyler Glasnow? While he didn't make the biggest splashes career-wise with the Curve, he has become one of the more successful players to leave Altoona. Drafted straight out of high school, many scouts and prospect evaluators alike saw the great potential of the young right-hander. When he entered the Major Leagues with the Pirates, he was considered part of the potential young core for a playoff run in 2016 and beyond. However, a few years later, Glasnow became a key piece in the 2018 trade that ultimately led to the Pirates acquiring Chris Archer.

Six years later, Glasnow faced the Pirates for the first time in his career last Tuesday. While he did not receive a win in a 1-0 defeat, he did strike out nine batters while also giving up the one earned run on three hits and two walks.

While suiting up for the Pirates, he appeared in 56 total games with 17 starts. After being traded, Glasnow’s arm truly lit up. His time in Tampa was well spent; as a starting pitcher, he won a total of 27 games in 71 starts as a Ray. Glasnow pitched a total of 386.7 innings, striking out 526 batters and only allowing four total home runs during his entire regular season stint with the team for six years.

However, in late December of last year, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded RHP Ryan Pepiot and OF Jonny DeLuca to the Tampa Bay Rays for RHP Tyler Glasnow, CF Manuel Margot, and cash. Since starting in Los Angeles, he’s dazzled Dodgers fans. So far during his 2024 campaign, Glasnow has tossed 86 complete innings. In those 86 innings, he struck out 116 batters.

During his time with the Curve in 2015, Glasnow highlighted his unique arm in a short time frame. While starting for Altoona, he made 12 starts before being called up to Triple-A Indianapolis. In those starts, he tossed a total of 63 innings, struck out 82 batters, and had an ERA of 2.43.

2. INF - Kevin Newman - Arizona Diamondbacks

Season Stats: .278 AVG, 51 games, 2 HRs, 16 RBIs, .392 SLG

Kevin Newman is another former big-name prospect from the Pirates farm system that came up during the wild card runs from 2013 to 2015. Newman has been around the National League since leaving Pittsburgh in a trade with the Reds in the winter of 2022. After joining Cincinnati for a brief stint, he joined the Arizona Diamondbacks via free agency in the off-season of 2023. Since then, Newman has never looked back and kept producing at the plate. With the Diamondbacks this year, Newman has become a reliable hitter. He’s been hitting around his career batting average mark of .260 with a current average of .266. This season he also has 14 RBIs, two home runs, and seven drawn walks.

With the Curve, Newman had two stints with the team between 2016 and the year the Curve won the Eastern League Championship in 2017. During his time in Altoona, he had a career batting average of .271 and appeared in a total of 143 games. During those 143 games, he compiled 58 RBIs and 156 hits with an overall OPS of .697. It is worth noting Newman contributed greatly to the Curve during their playoff run in 2016, stringing together a .538 batting average with an equally impressive OBP of .571.

3. INF - Ke’Bryan Hayes - Pittsburgh Pirates

Season Stats: .240 Avg., 46 Games, 2 HRs, 15 RBIs, .312 OBP

If you had to make a list of notable Curve alumni, Ke’Bryan Hayes would at least be worthy of an honorable mention in stats and as an overall fan favorite. Son of former Major League and former Pirate slugger Charlie Hayes, it’s safe to say that “young Hayes” has made an impact anywhere he’s played baseball.

While Hayes is just now becoming fully healthy at the time of writing this, there shouldn't be a doubt in any Pirates fan's mind that he doesn't contribute daily to the Pirates offense and defense. This season Hayes has appeared in 46 games, with a .240 batting average, .626 OPS, and four stolen bases.

Where do we start with Hayes and his Curve career? Those who were able to watch him during his 2018 campaign will understand the impressiveness he carried to every at-bat in Altoona. In the summer of ‘18, Hayes hit.293 with an impressive .444 slugging percentage. While the Curve didn't bring home any trophies during his time in Altoona, Hayes successfully snatched up a Golden Glove for his heroic efforts at third base. It should also be noted that during the 2018 season, Hayes was not only voted an Eastern League mid-season all-star but was also selected for the Futures Game.

4. INF/OF - Connor Joe - Pittsburgh Pirates

Season Stats: .255 AVG, 60 games, 7 HRs, 28 RBIs, .426 SLG

Speaking of Curve Alumni who played on the 2017 championship team, Connor Joe had a productive cup of coffee while in Altoona for half of the season. Joe was only with the Curve for 73 games because he was part of a trade with the Atlanta Braves. In exchange for Joe, the Pirates received utility player Sean Rodriguez. However, he would ultimately find himself back in the organization after being traded from the Colorado Rockies in December of 2022.

Joe has been one of the more consistent batters this season in the Pittsburgh lineup. He was originally normally batting lead-off, until yielding to Andrew McCutchen and instead took the clean-up spot. Since then, Joe hasn't slowed down his production. Since early April, he’s been swinging a scorching bat, currently bringing him to a batting average of .255. While that batting average is impressive alone, Joe backs up his usefulness at the plate with his seven home runs, 28 RBIs, and 21 drawn walks.

Other Notes:

• Joshua Palacios has been lighting up the scoreboard on his rehab assignment with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. In the four games he’s appeared in, He’s batted a solid batting average of .231 with three hits for four RBIs including his two home runs.
• Former Curve Pitcher LHP Trey McGough is now with the Norfolk Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, after opening the season with the Bowie Baysox. Since being called up, he’s appeared in five games and pitched 12.2 innings. Along with that, he’s recorded one win with a 3.55 ERA with 15 strikeouts.
• Former Curve INF Josh Bissonette is currently with the Kansas City Monarchs affiliate of the American Association Baseball League. Since joining the team in early May, he’s hit a solid .276 Avg with seven drawn walks, nine RBIs, and seven doubles.

Stay tuned all season long for more exciting content on the Around the Curve Blog!