Blake Snell’s time to shine

Although the journey was different, the outcome is similar in a second season with the Dodgers marked by missed time during the regular year and full availability in the playoffs. In fact, heading into today's game against the Braves, roughly one out of every four innings covered by Snell in a Dodger uniform has come in the playoffs, 24,64 percent to be exact.

Struggles in last season's World Series aside, Snell was outstanding for the better part of the 2025 playoffs. And he is one win away with the Dodgers from tying the number of postseason victories (4) in his career prior to joining Los Angeles. Standing in his way is an Atlanta team that was just bullied by another left-handed star pitcher, with their backs against the wall, trying to avoid an 0-2 deficit.

With just one day off after three straight games and trailing for the better part of Game 1, the Braves logically opted to save their top relievers in this series opener. Regardless of the specifics of Atlanta's plans for Game 2, the Dodgers will be facing a superior level of pitching, which inevitably increases the pressure on Snell's performance.