ESPN Analyst Reveals Why Dodgers' $182 Million Pitcher is Going to Thrive in LA

When the Los Angeles Dodgers introduced their headline signing of the winter in ace Blake Snell, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he believed the decorated southpaw would reach new heights in Hollywood.

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“With a guy that’s enjoyed that much success, usually in major league free agency, you’re buying the back-side of a guy’s career, the accomplishments that they have had,” Friedman said. “With Blake, one thing that’s really exciting for us is, for as much success as he’s had, we feel like there’s more in there and a lot of upside beyond what he’s done to this point, and the impact that can have on us and our quest to win a World Series this year, and as many years as we can see out.”

Beyond Friedman's expectations for the two-time Cy Young winner, history is also on Snell's side in terms of being successful as a Dodger, according to ESPN analyst Paul Hembekides.

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"I think Blake Snell is going to thrive playing at Dodger Stadium," Hembekides said to ESPN's Buster Olney. "And this is less a reflection of current park effects, and more a reflection of history. So I went back and looked and found that 53 pitchers have started at least 50 games for the Dodgers since they moved to Dodger Stadium in 1962. So among those 53 pitchers, they posted a 2.90 ERA at the stadium and a 3.62 ERA anywhere else. That difference is actually more pronounced among the lefties.

"Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw started 303 games there with a 1.94 combined ERA with nearly 2,400 strikeouts and fewer than 500 walks. I'm obviously not equating Snell to those two guys, but we do have 60 years of evidence that say if you're a lefty with elite stuff with that mound and that marine layer, something pretty special typically happens."

No player that changed teams this offseason is going to benefit from his new environment more than Blake Snell will 👇 pic.twitter.com/nMHdvUgXjl
— Paul Hembekides (Hembo) (@PaulHembo) February 24, 2025

The Dodgers have a reputation for transforming pitchers and elevating their performance, and it wouldn't be hard to imagine Snell flourishes in his new environment at Chavez Ravine.

Snell, already a two-time Cy Young award winner who was arguably the best pitcher in MLB during last year's second half, is looking to play a key role on a World Series champion.

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