Blake Snell on Turning His Passion for Cards Into Zilla Breaks

An exclusive interview with Blake Snell on breaking into the hobby.

Courtesy of Zilla Breaks

For two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, collecting sports cards is nothing new. In fact, his interest in the hobby dates back to around 2012, when he first started collecting with his older brother. Years later, that same interest led him to launch his own sports card breaking company, Zilla Breaks.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Snell and Zilla Breaks co-founder Daveed Cohen to discuss that passion for collecting, the story behind the company, and what makes their approach to the breaking industry different.

Discovering the Hobby

Despite collecting for years, Snell admitted that he didn't really know much about the hobby until fairly recently. That changed when he discovered Whatnot a little over a year ago, which introduced him to the world of card breaking.

"I started learning the hobby and what people were chasing, and then I started getting into breaks. From there, it was a wrap," he explained.

I then asked Blake if he felt that being a professional baseball player gave him an edge in the hobby when it came to identifying which young players could eventually become stars. And while he acknowledged that his experience helps, he admitted that prospecting wasn't something he paid much attention to until recently. In the past, he'd hold onto cards of young players he pulled and hope they'd succeed, rather than actively researching which prospects were worth chasing.

Collecting His Own Cards

I followed up by asking for his thoughts on how certain positions tend to carry significantly less value in the hobby than others, with pitchers being a prime example in baseball. I asked whether he found that frustrating as a pitcher himself, or if he appreciated being able to collect his own cards at more affordable prices.

Snell explained that the difference in value between pitchers and hitters doesn't entirely make sense to him, although he understands that position players benefit from being in the lineup every day. That said, he appreciates being able to collect his own one-of-ones at more affordable prices, although he'll immediately lose interest in buying one when collectors ask $40,000 for one of them simply because they know he's chasing it.

"When people oversell it, I'll never buy that card. Someone else can have it," he said.

That is a little surprising the pitcher cards seem to be undervalued. You’d think since pitchers are highly valued in the sport that would transcend the hobby. Maybe because they aren’t every day players? Interesting phenomenon.

— Jordan Busching (@jordanbusching) February 7, 2021

Building Zilla Breaks to Last

Moving on to Zilla Breaks, I asked Blake whether he felt something was missing in the breaking industry that made him want to start his own company, or if it was solely due to his love for collecting. He explained that he hadn't seen many professional athletes hosting their own breaks, and liked the idea of having a place where he could interact with fans, open cards, and just hang out with viewers. For Blake, breaking is something he genuinely enjoys, and he wanted Zilla Breaks to be about more than just business.

Zilla Breaks co-founder Daveed Cohen also weighed in, pointing to Snell's years of experience streaming on Twitch, along with his genuine involvement in the hobby, as two things that made launching Zilla Breaks a natural fit. Cohen added that Snell is comfortable running entire streams on his own, sometimes spending six or even twelve hours interacting with viewers and opening cards.

He pointed out that the company has people with backgrounds in sports, business, and finance, which he believes has helped it grow as quickly as it has in just six months. He also mentioned that Snell had already built other businesses under the Zilla name before starting Zilla Breaks.

"Between Blake's involvement in the hobby and the experience we have on the business side, I think that's really what sets us apart from other breaking companies," Cohen explained.

Daveed Cohen, co-founder of Zilla Breaks. | Courtesy of Zilla Breaks

Growing With the Hobby

Looking ahead, Daveed explained that Zilla Breaks has been, and will continue to be, willing to adjust its approach based on what viewers are interested in. One way they've done that is by pivoting to memorabilia through Fanatics Under Wraps when traditional card breaks weren't filling as quickly, which he said has helped the company continue growing while giving viewers something different to enjoy.

Snell also hinted at some changes coming to Zilla Breaks in the near future, as he mentioned that they're working on a few things they hope to introduce around December or January. He explained that the goal is to make their streams feel more like an actual show that people can tune in to and enjoy, whether they're participating in a break or just watching.

When asked if there was anything he'd change about the breaking industry, Snell emphasized the importance of giving back to the collecting community and making sure people feel comfortable with the money they're spending on breaks. He wants Zilla Breaks to be a place where collectors can learn more about the hobby and enjoy themselves without feeling pressured to spend money, while helping those who do spend money make informed decisions.

Blake Snell’s brother, “Boots” Snell, breaker for Zilla Breaks. | Courtesy of Zilla Breaks

When I wrapped up the interview by asking if there was anything else they wanted to share about Zilla Breaks, both Blake and Daveed had a simple message for collectors: come check out a stream and see what they're building for yourselves.