Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays
Career Strikeout Rate: 27.2%
2018 Strikeout Rate: 31.6%
2019 Strikeout Rate (so far): 37.5%
There is no Cy Young hangover for Blake Snell. His season debut didn’t go well — he allowed five runs on six hits (three home runs), two walks, and three strikeouts in six innings. In the 22.1 innings following that performance, he’s allowed just four runs (three earned) and two homers while walking four and striking out 36.
Snell has generated the third-best soft-hit rate allowed (28.8%), fourth-best hard-hit rate allowed (23.7%), and fifth-best infield-fly rate (18.2%) in baseball among starters with 20-plus innings pitched. He’s accomplished this with a huge increase in curveball usage. After setting a single-season career high last year by tossing it at a 20.2% clip, it’s all the way up to 32.3% thus far in 2019.
This offering has generated a 33.3% infield-fly rate, while his four-seamer has actually induced infield flies at a 63.6% clip.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
