Why Blake Snell is the key to a hyper-successful offseason for the SF Giants without Ohtani or Yamamoto

Why Blake Snell is the key to a hyper-successful offseason for the SF Giants without Ohtani or Yamamoto

1. The Star power

Make no mistake about it. Despite having an odd profile, Blake Snell is a star pitcher!

Since the award was established in 1956, only 22 players have ever won multiple Cy Young awards. You can check out the list yourself. See any bad pitchers? Any outliers?

Snell's resume gets even more exclusive when you consider the fact that only seven MLB players have even won the award in both the AL and NL. This list consists of only superstar, Hall-of-Fame caliber pitchers.

Winning the award in 2023 was not a fluke for Snell. He was dominant with San Diego last season. He led all of baseball with a dazzling 2.25 ERA. He struck out a career-high 234 batters (tied for third-most in baseball). And he finished the season with a 14-9 record.

Snell did lead the league with 99 walks (a personal career-high). This stat cannot be ignored. It is likely why the ace has taken a back seat to other premier free agents. However, Snell has proven to be an effective pitcher despite below-average command. The walks did not stop him from being the best in baseball in 2023. And it should not stop a team like the Giants from pursuing him. And from celebrating if they secure his services.

The former Padres and Rays star also has a few seasons with an inflated ERA on his resume (4.04 in 2017, 4.29 in 2019, and 4.20 in 2021). This has led to questions about his year-to-year consistency. However, it must be noted that, on the whole, Snell has been a wildly effective starter throughout his entire career.

He holds a career 3.20 ERA and a 71-55 win/loss record. He also has the strikeout upside to mow through 200+ batters in any given season.

Don't allow the narrative around Snell to sour your perspective on him completely. What team's offseason wouldn't be labeled a success by adding a reigning Cy Young winner?