Blake Snell isn’t just thinking about the next start. He’s thinking years down the line.
The Dodgers left-hander told Dylan Hernandez of the California Post that he wants people to understand how seriously he approaches pitching. Snell said he feels misread, and he made it clear that the work behind the scenes matters just as much to him as what happens on the mound.
“I just wish people would watch me pitch and then understand the work that I put into being a good pitcher, great pitcher, is a lot more than they’ve ever experienced or give me credit for,” Snell said. “Because I watch the game, I understand the hitters.
I understand who they are right now in the present. I understand who they are as a hitter.”
That mindset helps explain why Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner, still has bigger dreams in front of him. According to Hernandez, “His long-term ambition is to be elected to the Hall of Fame. He also wants to pitch until he’s 45 years old.”
Snell said the challenge is getting his body to cooperate long enough to make that possible.
“I have a lot to do to make sure my body can hold,” Snell said. “The last two years, I’ve gotten 10 starts a year.
That’s not Hall of Fame in my mind. So this offseason is super important.
How do I attack it? How do I get my body right?
How am I able to make sure I can pitch 30 games, and then on top of that, the postseason? There’s a lot of stuff to prove for myself.”
The timing of those comments comes after a rough finish for the Dodgers, whose 2026 season ended last week when the Milwaukee Brewers swept them in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series. The Dodgers came out flat across the board, and Snell was part of a postseason run that never found its footing. He was not at his best in two October appearances, though the source of those struggles was not a lack of preparation.
Snell is now two seasons into the five-year, $182 million deal he signed with Los Angeles. He’ll be 38 when that contract expires before the 2031 season.
The problem for Snell has been staying on the field. Across two seasons with the Dodgers, he has made only 20 regular-season appearances, with injuries repeatedly interrupting his run. Those setbacks have included left shoulder fatigue, loose bodies in his left elbow and left groin tightness.
For now, Snell’s focus is obvious: get healthy, get consistent, and try to put together something much closer to a full season in 2027. If he wants to chase that 45-year-old finish line, the first step is much simpler - one clean year.
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Bowden laid out one specific eight-player proposal that would send Dodgers prospects to the Nationals in exchange for James Wood and CJ Abrams, though he also acknowledged the move is unlikely to come together. He floated a few smaller trade concepts, too, underscoring the same larger point: if the Dodgers want to keep maximizing October chances, the conversation may be less about standing pat and more about finding another gear. [Read more 🡒]
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It is the sort of postseason wrinkle that reminds you how wide the Dodgers roster reach has become in recent years. Some of those names moved on through trades, others through more recent transactions, and a few have changed teams often enough that this series carries extra significance beyond the trophy chase itself. For Dodgers fans, it is one more strange twist of October, with former pieces of the organization now positioned to celebrate a title somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Get Some Stability After A Surprising Miguel Rojas Turn
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There was a little more stability on the organizational side, at least, after Andrew Friedman said the Dodgers coaching staff is expected to remain unchanged for the 2027 season. The club also absorbed some health news, with Dalton Rushing and Will Klein undergoing elbow surgeries, though Klein is expected back by spring training. For a team used to constant movement, keeping the staff intact while navigating rehab timelines offers a steadier backdrop than the one Rojas left behind. [Read more 🡒]