The San Francisco Giants have solidified their starting rotation by signing ace Blake Snell of Seattle, Washington to a two-year deal worth $62 million according to Mike Axisa of CBS Sports. The Giants become the third Major League team Snell has played for following five seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2016 to 2020, and three seasons with the San Diego Padres from 2021 to 2023.
Cy Young Award Season with the Padres in 2023
This past season with the Padres, Snell had a record of 14 wins and nine losses with an earned run average of 2.25. In 32 games and 180 innings pitched, he gave up 115 hits, 45 earned runs, 15 home runs, and 99 walks to go along with 234 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.19.
Control Issues
According to Shaun O’Neill of mlb.com, Snell is the first pitcher to lead the Major Leagues in walks, and win the Cy Young Award in the same season since 1959, when Early Wynn of Hartford, Alabama was honoured with the Chicago White Sox in the American League despite having a Major League leading 119 walks. Even though Snell led the Majors in walks, he still led the Majors in earned run average of 2.25 and fewest hits per nine innings at 5.8. It is also interesting that Snell won the National League Cy Young Award but was not a National League All-Star.
This was not the first time that Snell has faced control issues. While with the Rays in 2020, Snell led the Major Leagues with seven wild pitches.
Second time a Cy Young Award winner
Snell won the American League Cy Young Award with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. That season he was an All-Star for the only time in his career. Snell led the Majors in wins (21), and hits per nine innings (5.6), and the American League with a great 1.89 earned run average.
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