Clayton Kershaw Has High Praise for Blake Snell, The Dodgers’ Newest Ace
When Blake Snell joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a five-year, $182 million contract in November, there was one person he couldn’t wait to be teammates with: Clayton Kershaw.
Snell has admired Kershaw throughout his career, and now that they are in camp together, it is Kershaw’s turn to compliment Snell.
“As a left-handed pitcher, you always look around the league and see left-handed pitchers that you like watching,” Kershaw said. “Blake’s definitely my favorite in the league right now. The way he can throw a baseball is special. It’s just pretty, the way it comes out of his hand.”
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Snell respects Kershaw so much that he asked for his locker to be next to his when he agreed to his contract. He also has a photo of him in his locker but there definitely isn’t a bigger compliment than that.
“I can’t wait. I was telling Andrew (Friedman) I need my locker next to his,” Snell said during the offseason. “He’s just done so many amazing things in his career. So for me to talk to him, pick his brain, learn from all his experience, I’m really excited. To learn from a guy like that is, I mean, you can’t ask for more.”
Kershaw is recovering from offseason surgeries on his left foot and knee and has been spotted in the bullpen watching Snell. The relationship forming between the two of them and with the rest of his teammates will only benefit the Dodgers as they try to win back-to-back World Series titles.
“He’s in the top tier of players,” Roberts said earlier in camp about Snell. “Certainly, star players that have the bandwidth to focus on their own job, but also have the openness and the lens to try to make other people better.”
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Snell knows Dodgers fans have high expectations for him. He has won multiple Cy Youngs, but the spring isn’t for Cy Young stuff.
“Everyone wants to come into spring and they’ll expect, ‘Oh, Cy Young Blake,’ but that’s not realistic,” Snell said. “I’m learning, I’m growing, I’m getting better.”
Snell is expected to start one of the exhibition games in Tokyo before starting domestic Opening Day on March 27.
Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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