Padres News: Blake Snell Robbed of Pitcher of the Month Award

Cobin Burnes got the honor, but Blake Snell earned it.

After having a marvelous month of July, Blake Snell didn’t get the National League Pitcher of the Month. It went to Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Individual honors shouldn’t mean much because every major leaguer should have the goal of winning a World Series. However, individual honors could determine how much a player will make next year, as baseball is a business.

Entering his free agent offseason, Snell of the San Diego Padres lost money, and only a few pitchers have had a better month’s performance than Snell in July. If he pitched for a contender or an eastern team, he likely would have been recognized.

In July, despite having the All-Star break, Snell started 6 games and pitched 32 innings. He had 42 strikeouts and 26 walks. He allowed only 22 hits and no home runs, and he allowed 3 runs but only two were earned. His performance should have warranted national headlines, but the Padres are a fourth-place team.

Whereas the likelihood that Snell and the Padres will be competing in the playoffs is slim, Burnes and the Brewers are competing for the National League Central Division. Most national pundits have been watching the Brewers and saw Burnes’ wonderful month of July.

Burnes started 6 games and pitched 39 innings. He had 47 strikeouts and 13 walks. He allowed 8 runs and 2 home runs.

The voters rewarded Burnes’ endurance and performance well under the pressure of earning a postseason spot.

Even when Snell earned the American League Cy Young Award, his lack of endurance was a concern.