When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Blake Snell last offseason it was viewed as a significant boon to their starting rotation after the events of relying on their bullpen to win the 2024 World Series.
Snell was the first high-end starter to sign his deal, but both Corbin Burnes and Max Fried landed larger contracts in terms of total money with their new clubs.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman had a connection to Snell dating back to their days with the Tampa Bay Rays. The left-hander was drafted by the Rays in the first round during the 2011 MLB Draft, back when Friedman was still the general manager in Tampa Bay.
Friedman’s high opinion of Snell, coupled with the fact that the 32-year-old addressed the team’s biggest need, made the signing a no-brainer for the Dodgers.
“I’ve known Blake a long time. Just getting a chance to watch that maturation over a 12-year period and seeing that growth, we felt really strongly that not only could he help us in the regular season in accomplishing that first goal, but what he would bring to our staff in October,” Friedman recently recalled.
“Everyone wants to pitch in October. I think for some it is literally a part of their identity and what they yearn for more than anything. And I think Blake is one of those guys. So in talking to him early in the offseason, or even over the years, that part was clear.
“I think just he loves those moments. And just betting on the pitcher, the head, how much he cares was something that he was the No. 1 target for us in the offseason.”
The move paid off big time for the Dodgers, with Snell contributing to a dominant starting rotation that powered the team throughout the postseason this year.
He ran into some trouble against the Blue Jays offense during the World Series, but there were a couple of different contributing factors.
The Blue Jays executed at an elite level throughout the playoffs and were an unfavorable matchup for Snell, with the fourth-highest on-base-plus-slugging percentage against left-handed pitching during the regular season. Additionally, the Dodgers’ unreliable bullpen lead to Snell staying in longer than he should have, and relievers were unable to strand inherited runners.
Snell felt that his Game 5 start in the World Series was particularly ‘unlucky,’ and vowed to be improved upon getting another opportunity out of the bullpen. He lived up to that, and the Dodgers went on to earn a comeback win to capture the World Series title.
Blake Snell’s 2025 postseason stats
Overall, Snell had a 3.18 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched this postseason. Prior to the World Series, he had allowed just two runs through 21 innings of work.
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