Padres News: Blake Snell Surpassed by Justin Steele in Latest Cy Young Poll
After being the favorite for the Cy Young over the past few months, one of the Padres' best arms may have some competition for the prestigious honor in the last few weeks of the season.
Overtaken for the lead in the race by Cubs starter Justin Steele now has the top rank in the eyes of MLB.com's writers, with Blake Snell now lagging behind in second.
2) Blake Snell, Padres (10 first-place votes)
Snell (2.52 ERA) is neck and neck with Steele for the Major League ERA lead and has a significant advantage in strikeouts, 209 to 159, but his wildness could be a detriment in this razor-thin race. The southpaw, who won the AL Cy Young Award in 2018, has walked more batters (92) than anyone in baseball.
While control and pitch efficiency hasn't been ideal for the impending free agent, Snell's consistency and ability to punch batters out at a higher clip than his Chicago counterpart may put him over the edge.
Should he take home the award, it'd be a great send off into a contract year where we're sure Snell will have a significant amount of lucrative offers to choose from.
In his best season since his first Cy Young win back in Tampa Bay, this is by far Snell's best year with San Diego since coming over in a trade.
Thanks to his great contract year with the Padres, the Seattle native could cash into a big deal in free agency this coming winter.
Whether or not Snell re-signs with the Padres or with another team in a new city, it can't be overstated just what he's meant for the rotation.
A steady presence among some shaky surroundings all year long, we certainly hope his efforts get rewarded with the second Cy Young of Snell's career.
