Fastball

Starting Pitcher Blake Snell Set to Make History in Los Angeles Dodgers Tenure

After signing a five-year deal with the Dodgers on Tuesday, the left-hander will become one of just two players to accomplish the following:

Brady Farkas

San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws autographed baseballs to fans at Oracle Park following the season finale against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept 29.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws autographed baseballs to fans at Oracle Park following the season finale against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept 29. / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Dodgers shocked the baseball world on Tuesday by signing left-hander Blake Snell to a massive five-year deal worth $182 million. It's hardly a shock to see the Dodgers spend money, but there had been little connection between the team and Snell this offseason.

By adding Snell to the fold, the Dodgers now have a rotation that features Tyler Glasnow, Snell, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. And that doesn't even take into consideration that the team also has Clayton Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May all coming back from injury.

They are still considered the favorites for Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki.

As for Snell, presuming he's healthy enough to make at least 20 starts over five years in LA, he'll make some unique baseball history. Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

Blake Snell will become the 2nd pitcher to make at least 20 starts in his career for each of the Padres, Giants and Dodgers, joining Brett Tomko

Snell, who is about to turn 32 years old next week, is a nine-year veteran of the Tampa Bay Rays, Padres and Giants. He made the All-Star Game in 2018 and is a two-time Cy Young winner (2018, 2023). Lifetime, he's 76-58 with a 3.19 ERA.

Armed with a mid-90s fastball and a devastating curveball, he's just another weapon for the Dodgers on the mound. His only flaw is that he's known to run a high pitch count. He led the entire league in walks during the 2023 season, despite the fact that he won the Cy Young.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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