Seven innings pitched. Nine strikeouts. Two walks. One hit. One run. That is the pitching line from Blake Snell’s latest dominant start, earning his MLB-best 19th win, this time over the AL Central-leading Indians. This effort fits well amongst the abundance of excellent starts Snell has given Tampa Bay this season. A season in which he should be strongly considered for the American League Cy Young Award.
But let’s rewind to the Midsummer Classic. At the time, Snell was viewed as an elite starting pitcher. Because he was robbed of a spot on the first American League All-Star announcement, he garnered more attention than any of us could have predicted.