San Francisco Giants ace Blake Snell has been named National League Pitcher of the Month for August. It is the fifth time the left-hander has won the award in his career. The last time he won it was in September of 2023 to close out his NL Cy Young season. Snell’s season has done a full pivot from his early season showings, struggling mightily to one of the best pitchers in the game.
Snell missed out on Pitcher of the Month honors in July. Losing to rival San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease, after tossing a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals. Blake Snell responded with a no-hitter of his own on August 2, against the Cincinnati Reds. The performance marked the first time Snell had thrown a pitch in the ninth inning of his career. Snell carved up the Reds’ lineup with 11 strikeouts on 114 pitches.
Snellzilla Summer
The no-hitter would merely be a preview for more to come for Snell in August. His final stat line for August was good for a 1.64 ERA, 53 K’s, and a 2–0 record in six starts in 38 1/3 innings. Snell’s notorious reputation of second-half success once again rejuvenated his season. Since returning from the Injured List on July 9, his ERA is at 1.30, with 83 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings. He has gone at least five innings in nine of his last 10 starts.
Offseason Outlook
A major question mark heading into the offseason is if the Giants will be able to retain Snell. Their trade deadline approach was concerning, to say the least, with general manager Farhan Zaidi presumably making one final attempt to keep his job. Sitting two games under .500 at the deadline, fresh off a sweep of the NL’s worst team, the Colorado Rockies, the Giants stood pat mostly. Their one move was shipping off one of their hottest hitters during the time, designated hitter Jorge Soler.
Since the July 30 trade deadline, San Francisco has posted a 15–16 record. The play reflects entirely what we saw throughout the first four months of the season. Though Zaidi was quoted saying “We believe we have the best starting rotation in baseball.” He did nothing to attempt to bolster the offense to pair with the great pitching.
Snell has a player option after the 2024 season, and will likely test the open market given his dominance in recent months. The Giants’ decision to not deal Snell to a World Series contender in return for a haul could likely come back to bite them with Snell expected to receive another big payday. Along with a third straight year of missing the playoffs, in a year with significant expectations.
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