2022 Padres Player Review: Blake Snell

2022 Regular Season Statistics

3.7 fWAR, 24 G, 128 IP, 3.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 171 K, 51 BB, 11 HR, 2 HBP

Positives From This Season

One positive for Snell was he stayed healthy from the middle of May through the NLCS. If you remember in 2021, he dealt with a groin injury in September to end what was going to be a tremendous finish to the season despite the team collapsing. It wasn’t a guarantee that Snell was going to be healthy for the majority of the year, especially when he started the regular season on the IL due to another groin injury.

On the field, his numbers were better compared to his first season with the Padres. His ERA was almost a full run better and he struck out more batters even though he started fewer games in 2022 compared to 2021.

The postseason obviously is when it matters the most but he had to pitch tremendously well to help get San Diego into the postseason in the first place. In his final 25 innings, he allowed just two earned runs and struck out 32 batters. Then come postseason time he pitched well in the last two starts against the Dodgers and Phillies respectively.

Negatives From This Season

You could say a negative for Snell was his groin injury to start the season but he couldn’t control that. Some fans also didn’t like that he was behind the other starters in terms of being built up but he was intentionally building up slower so that he could be strong and ready to go for the second half of the season. I’d say that worked (2.19 ERA in the second half compared to a 5.22 ERA in the first half).

A negative could’ve been his Game 1 start against the Mets because it forced Bob Melvin to use more of his bullpen. However, the Padres ended up getting a spectacular start from Joe Musgrove in Game 3 so it ended up not being that big of a deal, as Robert Suarez and Josh Hader were the only relievers who had to pitch to seal the Wild Card Series win.

Overall I’m pleased with the way Snell pitched this year. He probably will try to find a way to pitch better in the first half while not being gassed for the second half of 2023.

If you wish to listen or watch me talk more about Snell’s season on the Talking Friars Podcast/YouTube show, click here!