(Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres have been one of the most bitter disappointments of the 2023 season in MLB.
They reached the NL Championship Series last year and were supposed to be even better this time around.
Well, things haven’t been so smooth: with a 48-53 record, they are fourth in the NL West standings.
They still have slim hopes to get into the postseason, and they have Blake Snell to thank for that.
Yes, every player of that famous foursome the Padres put together in the offseason has produced: Xander Bogaerts has 2.5 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), Manny Machado is at 2.3, and Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto are both over 3.5, not to mention Ha-Seong Kim.
Among pitchers, however, Snell has been the best with 2.2 WAR.
He also happens to be the best in MLB, at least from an ERA standpoint.
Here are your ERA leaders so far this seasonpic.twitter.com/hCmJVigw0d
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 25, 2023
According to FOX Sports: MLB, Snell has the lowest ERA in baseball among qualified starting pitchers at 2.67.
His mark is slightly better than Nate Eovaldi’s 2.69 and Gerrit Cole’s 2.78.
When we consider run differential, it’s actually baffling the Padres have been so mediocre in the standings.
Their record just doesn’t match with their +48 run differential.
They have the second-best differential in the division, yet they are fourth in the standings.
They have lost a lot of close games and are now paying the price.
They still have a path towards making the postseason, but they can’t afford to have extended losing streaks.
Not anymore.
With a few tweaks, this is still a quality roster, and Snell is a big reason why.
He has been dominant all year, and if he remains healthy, San Diego has a chance.
The post Blake Snell Holds MLB Lead As Padres Cling To Contention appeared first on The Cold Wire.