San Diego Padres have not gotten what they need from Blake Snell

Blake Snell was supposed to be a part of the solution for the San Diego Padres. He was a part of their revamped rotation, another piece to help close the gap between the Padres and Dodgers. As a former Cy Young winner, he was expected to make a major difference in San Diego’s hopes this season.

As the Padres gave up an impressive group of prospects for his services, expectations were sky high for Snell. However, it is fair to say that he has been unable to be the pitcher that San Diego had hoped he would be.

Blake Snell has been a bust for the San Diego Padres

Snell has been inconsistent at best this year. He has posted a 4.50 ERA and a 1.523 WHiP over his 44 innings, striking out 67 batters, but also issuing 28 walks. In addition to those command issues, Snell has given up seven homers, as he has not been the ace the Padres hoped for.

Those struggles are clear when looking at his game log for 2021. He has pitched into the sixth inning just twice, completing five innings just five times this year. In fact, Snell has as many outings where he failed to complete four innings as he has pitched into the sixth.

Normally, it would be fair to wonder if Snell is healthy. He has only reached the 30 game mark once in his career, back in 2018 when he won the AL Cy Young award. However, he has taken the ball every fifth day, making ten starts on the year for the Padres.

Likewise, his numbers are right around his career norms. He is generating ground balls at a 46.7% clip, and getting a lot of soft contact. While his 11.4% barrel rate is the highest of his career, that lack of hard contact has rendered that regression somewhat moot.

The problem comes down to his command. Snell has a 5.7 BB/9 rate, the worst of his career. At the same time, he has a career best 13.7 K/9 rate, which will also add to more pitches being thrown in a shorter amount of time. It may be as simple as Snell overthrowing, trying to live up to his billing as a staff ace on a World Series contender.

The San Diego Padres thought they were getting another ace in Blake Snell. Thus far in 2021, he has been anything but that.