Shoreline's Blake Snell wins American League 2018 Cy Young Award

Blake Snell playing for Shorewood 2011

Text and photos by Wayne Pridemore

The Cy Young Award is now given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, one each for the American League and National League.

The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young. 

Before 1967 only one pitcher was selected to receive the award regardless of which league he worked in.

The awards are voted by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, with one representative from each team.

Southpaw pitcher 2011

Blake Snell wins American League 2018 Cy Young Award

The young southpaw pitcher graduated from Shorewood High School in 2011, where he played three seasons for Thunderbird coach Wyatt Tonkin. (See previous article)

He was drafted by Tampa Bay in the first round, the fifty-second overall pick of the Major League June 2011 draft.

Blake stands at 6 foot 4 inches in height and weighs 200 plus pounds. 

During the past season for Tampa Bay he won 21 games and lost 5. He had an ERA of 1.89 during the 2018 season.

Jacob DeGrom of the New York Mets won the National League Cy Young Award.