MESA, Ariz. -- If someone told Cubs prospect Kade Snell he’d be playing professional baseball when he first embarked on his college career at Auburn, he’d have believed it. But if he knew it would be as an outfielder, he might have done a double take.
“I would have asked them to repeat themselves, just to make sure I heard them correctly,” Snell said after manning right field for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League on Monday night. “God works in weird ways, I’m a testament to that. It’s not always going to be the easiest thing in the world, it’s always going to end up good in the end.”
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Snell started out in college as a pitcher at Auburn, the school he grew up rooting for and dreamed of attending. He redshirted his freshman year in 2021 -- he says he was cut because he wasn’t good enough to pitch there -- forcing him to transfer to Wallace-Dothan Community College. After two years as a two-way player at that level, where he was named junior college player of the year in 2023, he made the very unusual Auburn move of moving on to the University of Alabama.
“It was a blessing in disguise, me getting out of there,” Snell said about leaving Auburn. “It hurt because it was my dream school. I was able to go to junior college and that was the most fun I ever had playing baseball, then had the opportunity to go back to Alabama to play there.
“I was an Auburn fan my whole life, but it wasn’t a good fit for me. Nothing against those coaches there, they’re the best in the business. But it was very easy for me to say 'Roll Tide' once I committed to Alabama.”
After a year of continuing to pitch and hit, he finally put pitching aside in 2025. As an outfielder only, he turned into one of the more intriguing senior sign candidates by hitting .363/.464/.575, a campaign that not only earned him first-team all-SEC honors and some all-American nods, but also landed him in the fifth round of the Draft.
He also was team captain, and that makeup was a big reason why the Cubs wanted him and signed him for a below-slot $200,000. Eager to prove he was more than just a money-saver, Snell was just figuring things out with High-A South Bend in his first full season when he broke his wrist in an outfield collision. He missed a month and a half of the season, but in an unusual move that was another testament to his overall presence, the Cubs didn’t send him back to the Spring Training complex, instead letting him stick with his Minor League teammates.
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“I’m just glad I was able to stay in South Bend and be a part of clinching,” Snell said. “I think that was really big for them to let me stay there. We had a special team.
“They kind of made it known that I was kind of a guy they lean on in the clubhouse, which I appreciate the heck out of. I think if you can’t play, you need to be a good teammate, be a good leader in the clubhouse. I’m glad that they saw that because I did not want to come back here. I wanted to stay in South Bend and cheer on my boys.”
Not that Snell wasn’t eager to get back on the field. He was “gnawing at the bit” and once he got back, he returned to what he thought he was unlocking before the injury. The left-handed hitter homered four times in July after returning in the middle of the month, then slashed .301/.364/.534 through the end of the regular season.
Clearly, Snell had more good baseball in him this season, so he was fired up when the Cubs told him he’d be making up for some of that lost time in the Arizona Fall League.
“I was very grateful,” he said. “I just wanted to prove myself. I know I got cut down 40-something games, so it was good to get out here and start playing again.”
Gratitude comes up often when talking to Snell. Given the winding path he took collegiately and the missed time because of the injury this year, it comes as no surprise to hear his appreciation for being out there.
“It shows you how grateful you need to be when you’re on the field, especially having time off the field,” Snell said. “You can take it for granted sometimes. Being on the field, you can’t take it for granted at all.”