Marlins No. 2 prospect Robby Snelling set for MLB debut vs. Nationals
MIAMI (AP) — Robby Snelling was already receiving autograph requests from young Marlins fans 24 hours before his first Major League Baseball start. The Marlins sure hope that will become a new norm for their No. 2 pitching prospect, who was called up this week from Triple-A Jacksonville to make his MLB debut Friday against the Washington Nationals .
“It's pretty surreal,” Snelling said in Miami's clubhouse Thursday before walking over to the dugout where fans yelled for his signature. “Still trying to just kind of soak it in and get acclimated with all the guys again that I was around in spring and really take it all in and not let the moment get too big. ” The left-handed Snelling, selected 39th by San Diego in the 2022 amateur draft, was dealt to Miami in a 2024 package that sent left-hander Tanner Scott and righty Bryan Hoeing to the Padres.
Snelling did not make the Marlins' initial 40-man roster despite impressing coaches during spring training. He called that both frustrating and motivating. “I was upset and not necessarily at anybody in general,” Snelling said.
"Just being told that you’re not going to get to do what you really had wanted to do as early as you wanted to do is a tough pill to swallow. “But then you kind of come back down to earth and realize, ‘Alright, what do I need to do to get to that point where I want to be? ’” So he worked on lowering his walks, in part by improving his first-pitch strike rate.
In six starts with Triple-A Jacksonville this season, Snelling went 3-1 with the second-best ERA (1. 86) among qualified pitchers. He walked more than three batters only twice in those six starts.