Fans in LA loved the move, as it shifted the balance of power in National League West further in the direction of Elysian Park. As did OG haters who still hold a 67-year grudge against the Giants for leaving Manhatten for Oracle Park back in the 1950s, even if Snell was only on a two-year contract before he chose to opt out.
But the party that might be most excited about removing Snell from San Francisco might just be the members of the Dodgers themselves, as they no longer have to face off against the Giants ace now that they will be sharing a locker room together as friends, not foes.
“Our signings look like they’ve been great so far. I always hated facing Snell, so I’m glad I don’t have to face him anymore. At one point this past year, I was looking at my stats against pitchers, trying to see which pitcher I have the most at-bats against with zero hits, and it was Snell,” Edman told MLB Network Radio via SI.
“I think I’m like 0-for-12 off him or something like that, so I’m glad I don’t have to face him anymore. He’s nasty. He’s a good pitcher.”
Well, as it turns out, Edman is correct in his assertion, as he has a perfect – in a bad way – batting average against Snell in his ten at-bats against the former Giants ace. While every member of the Dodgers doesn’t have the same (lack of) success against Snell over their careers, most of them do, with only Shohei Ohtani having a batting average over .300 and only two players, Will Smith and Chris Taylor, having more than one home run in their careers.
The 2023 Cy Young winner coming off of a bevy of awards and accomplishments in 2023 with the Padres, Snell’s 2024 season wasn’t quite as good from a statistical perspective but still featured some career highlights, including his first perfect game. Now locked into a more dynamic rotation where he will probably pitch first but could be more flexible when the playoffs begin, it’s safe to say 29 other teams will now have to suffer through what Edman has had to over his career so far, with the “Evil Empire” adding another super-sized storm trooper to their already impressive arsenal in the pursuit of World Series defense.