It’s safe to say that Blake Snell is feeling the effects of a bizarre spring. Those reps in Arizona, as trivial and inconsequential as they appear at the time, are quite the opposite. Physically unwinding the arm; mentally, acclimating to the mound—it pays to play in February and March, and Snell didn’t.
The stateless southpaw could only do so much to stay sharp on his own as the rest of the baseball community suited up and got to work. You’d like to think an 8 year veteran with multiple Cy Youngs could cold-start his wind-up Opening Day and immediately get outs, but alas.