Snelling dials up dominance: Marlins' No. 2 prospect strikes out 12 at Triple-A
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The more he moves up, the better he gets. That seems to be the mantra for Robby Snelling, whose dominant 2025 has not only carried over into a new season, but has him on the cusp of The Show.
Miami's No. 2 prospect largely gave his fielders the night off on Friday, racking up a season-high 12 strikeouts over five scoreless frames during Triple-A Jacksonville's 4-2 loss to Norfolk at Harbor Park.
Snelling surrendered two hits and walked four during his 94-pitch effort and allowed just two balls out of the infield -- both coming in the second inning.
The 22-year-old did what he does best right out of the gate, striking out the side in the opening frame and adding a fourth consecutive punchout to begin the second.
A double and all four of his walks in the second and third innings conspired against MLB's No. 36 prospect from working deeper into the game, but he finished with a flourish, setting down eight of the final nine Norfolk hitters, seven via the strikeout.
The Reno, Nev., native generated 15 whiffs on 33 swings (45.5 percent) and routinely sat in the mid-90s mph range with his heater. His first scoreless outing of the season lowered his ERA to 2.77 in three starts and he's held opposing batters to a .152 average while striking out 22 in 13 innings.
Of course, piling up K's is nothing new for Snelling, who averaged nearly 11 K/9 while running a strikeout rate of 30.3 percent last year. It all added up to 166 punchouts, tied for fourth in the Minors, and a breakout season between Double-A Pensacola and Jacksonville.
Snelling allowed two or fewer runs in 13 of his final 14 starts last year -- 11 at Triple-A -- to complete the season with a 2.51 ERA in 25 starts -- including a miniscule 1.27 mark for the Jumbo Shrimp.
It was a complete 180-degree turn from his 2024, which saw the '22 Draft pick traded to Miami from San Diego while in the midst of an inconsistent year. Snelling adjusted his delivery which led to increased velocity, and he finished the season on a high note with his new organization.
As 2025 rolled around, Snelling consistently sat in the 94-95 mph range and touched 99 on occasion. His command significantly improved as well, vaulting the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder to the upper echelon of pitching prospects in the sport.