Blake Snell won the American League Cy Young Award in 2018 while playing for the Tampa Bay Rays. The San Diego Padres acquired him before the 2021 season, hoping to see the same level of performance from the left-handed pitcher. However, Snell's first year with the Padres was not as impressive as expected, as he had an ERA over four, but he did manage to strike out 170 batters.
In 2022, he showed some improvement (8-10, 3.38 ERA, 171 SO), but still fell short of expectations. However, Snell bounced back in 2023 and joined the exclusive club of pitchers who have won the Cy Young Award in both leagues. He won 14 games with 9 losses, led the NL in ERA (2.25), ERA+ (182), and H/9 (5.8), and set a personal best in strikeouts (234). Despite his outstanding performance, the Padres failed to make the playoffs, leaving a bittersweet taste.
As Snell enters the 2024 season, he needs to break his trend of not having two great seasons in a row. The question is, can he do it?
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