PORT CHARLOTTE — Wednesday was Blake Snell’s 11th day of his first big league camp. He got there by exploding through the Rays’ organization last season, pitching at three levels and compiling the crazy numbers that earned him the minor league player of the year honors.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said the 23-year-old Snell looks like a 12-year-old who can throw 98 miles an hour. It’s almost a spot-on description. Snell does look younger than his age, and his fastball is that fast.
But after making his Rays spring training debut during the sixth inning against the Nationals in the Rays’ Grapefruit League opener, Snell sounded very much like a veteran pitcher with plenty of years on his résumé.