Shawn Murnin

www.shawnmurnin.wordpress.com @ShawnMurnin
shawn.murnin@gmail.com

Program Story
Blake Snell Becomes Third Hot Rods Hall of Fame Inductee
by Shawn Murnin

In 2018, Kevin Kiermaier and Matt Moore were inducted as the inaugural class of the Hot Rods Hall of Fame. In
2019, the Hot Rods welcome their first Cy Young award winner in team history as Blake Snell becomes the third
player inducted.

Snell’s 2018 was nothing short of meteoric, but his journey to the Cy Young reached Bowling Green Ballpark in
2013 with varied results. His ERA after the first month of the season was 3.31 with a 1-2 record and had struck
out 19 over 16.1 innings but issued 13 walks. Snell’s ERA dipped in June, holding opponents to a 2.70 average
during the month but posted a 5.24 ERA over the final two months of the season.

The Seattle, Washington native finished the season with a 4-9 record over 23 starts, posting a 4.27 ERA and 106
strikeouts over 99.0 innings. While his strikeout numbers were impressive, Snell’s walks were high, totaling 73
for the season. It was his worst year as a pro to that point, but proved to be a minor speed-bump. The southpaw
returned to Bowling Green at the start of 2014 and was lights-out on the mound. He allowed just eight earned
runs in as many starts, posting a 1.79 ERA and striking out 42 over 40.1 innings. He allowed just 19 free-passes
over that stretch, cutting his walk per nine-innings by over two.

Following his time with the Hot Rods, Snell made his way through the Rays system making stops with the Char-
lotte Stone Crabs (A-Advanced), Montgomery Biscuits (Double-A), and the Durham Bulls (Triple-A). In 2015
he was Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year, and in 2016 BA writers had the lefty rated as the
Rays top prospect and as high as ninth in all of the Minors.

Snell made his Major League debut in 2016 and started 19 games for the Rays that year, posting a 6-8 record
with a. respectable 3.54 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 89 innings. His 2017 campaign saw Snell optioned to Durham
twice, while he allowed a 4.04 ERA over 24 starts with 119 strikeouts in 129.1 innings on the bump.

Things changed quickly in 2018, as Snellzilla became the second Rays pitcher to ever win the Cy Young award.
The 25-year-old (at the time) dominated the majors, starting 31 games for Tampa Bay while holding opponents
to a mere .178 batting average. He won 21 games with a 1.89 ERA and struck out an incredible 221 over 180.2
innings of work, with a K-rate that was second to only Justin Verlander in the American League. In 50.0 more
innings Snell allowed just five more walks than he did in 2017 while holding his opponents to one less hit.

Those outstanding numbers not only earned him the Cy Young, but also the Warren Spahn Award for best
left-handed pitcher in the MLB. Snell also appeared in his first MLB All-Star game, was named AL Pitcher of the
Month in August and September, and won the MLB Player’s Choice Award for AL Outstanding Pitcher.

Snell ranks first in career starts and third in all-time strikeouts in Hot Rods history, he was as close to a lock as
you’re going to get when you look through the list of All-Time Hot Rods. In 2019 Snell will look to continue his
dominance from last year as the defending Cy Young winner, All-Star, and now, Bowling Green Hot Rods Hall of
Famer.