Padres Rumors: Expert Expects Blake Snell to Take Control of Cy Young Race

It all comes down to the final few weeks.

Overtaken in the ERA race in the National League, Padres starter Blake Snell may be at risk of losing the Cy Young award after being the presumptive favorite for the majority of the 2023 season. 

Although Cubs starter Justin Steele has proven a compelling case to start the month of September, one writer says that the trophy is still Snell's to lose especially considering the remaining schedules for both San Diego and Chicago.

"DraftKings’ odds still slightly favor Snell, though. He generally looks like the better pitcher in a head-to-head statistical battle with Steele, including by way of a whopping 50-strikeout lead. He’s also hotter, having gone 20 straight starts without allowing more than three runs. Snell also has the more favorable road ahead. He and the Padres have 12 games remaining against losing teams, compared to nine for Steele and the Cubs."

via Zachary D. Rymer, Bleacher Report

Comparing the two alongside the season that Braves starter Spencer Strider has put together for the major league standings leaders in Atlanta, this may be the closest Cy Young race the NL has seen since 2015. 

Snell, to his credit, has been the ace of a Padres rotation in 161 innings of work with a sparkling ERA of 2.52 and 209 punchouts, confusing hitters all season long. 

Steele's own season includes a new NL-low ERA at 2.49, but in a similar workload to Snell at 159 innings, the Cubs starter lags far behind in the strikeout ranks as Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report mentioned. 

Strider's case is perhaps the most interesting one as his ERA is a full run above both Steele and Snell, but the Braves ace has racked up the most strikeouts in MLB this season in his own impressive performance. 

It seems like it'll truly be down to the wire between the three, but the Seattle native and impending free agent has our vote to become one of just a few to win the Cy Young in both the AL and NL when the dust settles.