SF Giants lefty ace earns Team of the Month honors from MLB

SF Giants lefty ace Blake Snell really got his season going in July. MLB published its Team of the Month recipients for July with the veteran picther making the list.

SF Giants lefty ace earns Team of the Month honors from MLB

Interestingly, the two relievers to make the cut are now wearing different uniforms from when the month began. Both A.J Puk and Tanner Scott were teammates on the Miami Marlins, but they were shipped to the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, respectively.

In a minor surprise, Tyler Fitzgerald did not make the list. He had an incredible month of July, slashing .321/.390/.849 (238 wRC+) with eight home runs, 15 RBI, and 13 runs in 59 plate appearances. That type of production should merit serious consideration.

That said, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals was even better with a 1.353 OPS, seven home runs, 22 RBI, and 26 runs in 100 plate appearances last month.

On the other hand, Snell started to look like the pitcher the Giants had hoped to see when they signed him to a two-year, $62 million pact. He got off to a very slow start due in part to to signing so late in the offseason.

The 31-year-old made a commendable effort to be ready for the season as quickly as he could. However, that may have done more harm than good as he struggled on the mound and missed time due to injury.

Turning the page to July proved to be a fresh start for Snell. Overall, the southpaw pitcher has posted a 5.10 ERA in 10 starts with San Francisco.

However, he was much better in July, registering a 0.75 ERA with 30 strikeouts against seven walks in 24 innings. This includes a 15-strikeout effort against the Colorado Rockies in his final start of the month.

The Giants will need more of this from Snell down the stretch. They currently sit 4.5 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 54-56 record. However, there are three teams between the Giants and Arizona.

The rotation is at full strength for the first time all season. While the playoff odds look remote at this point, the Giants will need that unit to be a strength if they are going to get back into the picture.