Snell, like Skubal, has won two Cy Young Awards in his career. But for Snell, his two Cy Young years (2018, 2023) are the only two times in his 11-year career he’s reached even 130 innings in a season. Snell has only started 20 times in the regular season in the first two seasons of his five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers.
But he made an impact last postseason, with a 3.18 ERA in five starts plus one relief appearance, with 41 strikeouts (a 31.5-percent strikeout rate) and 13 walks in his 34 innings. In his career, Snell has a stellar 3.27 ERA in 18 postseason appearances, including 15 starts, with 102 strikeouts and 36 walks in 82 2/3 innings.
“If you want to be a Hall of Famer, if you want to be a legend in the game, I think it all happens in October,” Snell said Saturday. “The regular season sets you up in a lot of ways, but the postseason definitely is what could cement you, stamp you as a Hall of Famer is how you pitch in those games.”
After Saturday’s NLDS opener was televised by Fox, Game 2 on Sunday will be on FS1.