Collin Snider Is Taking Advantage of the Next Step in His Baseball Journey
The Kansas City Royals have kicked off their season, and some notable things have already occurred. One player, in particular, made his major league debut and has been very impressive. Many might think I'm referring to Bobby Witt Jr. (and yes, he has been a highlight) but this player is relief pitcher Collin Snider. His rise from college, through the Royals' farm system, and to the big-league level has gone under the radar.
Snider played college ball at Vanderbilt University. He spent three seasons there, pitching in 60 games and throwing 87 innings. Snider faced 375 hitters, predominantly pitching out of the bullpen, and posted a career 3.62 ERA with a 1.333 WHIP and a 7-2 record. The Royals selected Snider in the 12th round of the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft.
Snider climbed through the Royals' system rather quickly. He appeared in 125 games and pitched 232.1 innings across four seasons in the minor leagues. In those contests, he struck out 170 batters and posted a 4.11 ERA. This year, Snider got the opportunity to show off his talents at spring training and pitched in seven games. As a result of his performance, he finally broke camp and made the major league roster.
Merely a few days ago, Snider made his major league debut in a crucial moment, entering the game in the top of the 10th inning with runners on first and third. He placed a slider on the outside corner against Oscar Mercado. Mercado pulled it, prompting Witt to stop it and make a miraculous throw home where Salvador Perez completed the highlight. The result would be the second out of the inning, allowing the Royals some breathing room.
Snider would go on to make personal history when he struck out Yu Chang for the first punchout of his major league career. He later racked up another milestone when the Royals scored in the bottom of the 10th inning off Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, giving Snider his first major league win.
Snider is known for his slider. In just 1-2/3 innings pitched this season, he has thrown it 10 times (76.9% usage rate) for an average of 85.4 mph. The spin rate on this pitch is 2,624 RPM. (The average spin rate on a curveball or slider lies between 2,430 and 2,530 RPMs, per Justin Aguiar of rapsodo.com.) Snider also registers a 42.9% whiff rate on the offering. Of course, this is a minimal sample size, but this shows how good his pitch is already.
With Snider pitching well out of the Royals' bullpen, it's easy to envision him continuing to have an intricate role moving forward. He may not be a household name and hasn't carried the same pedigree with him as some other young Kansas City pitchers, but he's emerging before everyone's very eyes.
