Blake Snell Bio
Blake Ashton Snell is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on December 4, 1992, in Seattle, Washington, he has played for the Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres previously. Snell was drafted by the Rays in 2011 and debuted in 2016. He achieved significant success, winning the Cy Young Award in 2018 and 2023 and contributing to the Dodgers’ 2025 World Series victory.
Early Life and Background
Blake Ashton Snell was born on December 4, 1992, in Seattle, Washington. He attended Shorewood High School in Shoreline, Washington, where he played for the baseball team. In high school, he trained at a facility owned by his father, a former minor league baseball player. In his senior season, Snell recorded a 9–0 win–loss record, a 1.00 earned run average (ERA) with 128 strikeouts in over 63 innings pitched.
Path to Baseball
The Tampa Bay Rays selected Snell in the first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Rays for a $684,000 bonus and made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Rays, where he was 1–2 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 games. He spent 2012 with the Princeton Rays, pitching to a 5–1 record and a 2.09 ERA in 11 starts, and 2013 with the Bowling Green Hot Rods where he compiled a 4–9 record and a 4.27 ERA in 23 starts. Snell started 2014 with Bowling Green and was promoted to the Charlotte Stone Crabs in May. On August 2, he pitched a rain-shortened no-hitter against the Daytona Cubs, marking the first no-hitter in Stone Crabs history. After the season, he was named the Rays Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Blake Snell Career
Early Career (2016–2020)
Snell was promoted to the major leagues to make his debut on April 23, 2016, at Yankee Stadium. He allowed a run off of a wild pitch in the first inning but struck out the side in the second inning. His first major league strikeout was of Brian McCann. He picked up his first career major league win on June 27, when he allowed four runs in 5+1⁄3 innings against the Boston Red Sox. Through the 2016 season for Tampa, Snell made 19 starts, finishing with a 6–8 record, 3.54 ERA, and 98 strikeouts over 89 innings.
Breakthrough (2018)
Snell opened the 2018 season in the Rays starting rotation. On June 3, he tied an AL record by striking out the first seven batters he faced in a game against the Seattle Mariners. Snell ended the game allowing no runs in six innings and recorded 12 strikeouts. At the time of the All-Star team announcement, Snell was 12–4 with a 2.09 ERA, the lowest of all qualified pitchers in the American League. He was named to the All-Star team as a replacement and went on to win the American League Cy Young Award, becoming the second Rays pitcher to win the award.
Notable Works and Milestones
Snell finished the 2018 season leading the majors in wins with 21 and earned run average with 1.89. He became the youngest pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in consecutive months since Johan Santana in 2004.
San Diego Padres (2021–2023)
On December 29, 2020, the Rays traded Snell to the San Diego Padres. Snell had a challenging 2021 season, finishing with a 7–6 record and a 4.20 ERA. He rebounded in 2023, making 32 starts with a 14–9 record and leading the league in ERA with 2.25. He won his second Cy Young Award that year, becoming the seventh pitcher in MLB history to receive the award in both leagues.
San Francisco Giants (2024)
Snell signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants in March 2024. He threw a no-hitter on August 2 against the Cincinnati Reds, marking a significant achievement in his career.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2025–present)
On November 30, 2024, Snell signed a five-year contract worth $182 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made his Dodgers debut on March 27, 2025, and was part of the team’s World Series championship that year.
Blake Snell Award Nominations
Blake Snell has received multiple nominations throughout his career, including two Cy Young Awards, an All-Star selection, and recognition as the AL Wins Leader in 2018.
Blake Snell Awards Won
Blake Snell has won several prestigious awards, including the Cy Young Award in 2018 and 2023, an All-Star selection in 2018, and a World Series Championship in 2025.
| Award | Wins | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Cy Young Award | 2 | 2018, 2023 |
| All-Star | 1 | 2018 |
| World Series Champion | 1 | 2025 |
Blake Snell Family
Blake Snell is married to Haeley Mar, and they have two sons, born in June 2024 and August 2025. He resides in Lynnwood, Washington.
Personal Life
Snell grew up a Seattle Mariners fan and has been known by the nickname “Snellzilla.” He previously owned a home in St. Petersburg, Florida, but sold it in 2021.
