Rays call up top prospect Blake Snell to start Saturday

The Tampa Bay Rays have called up LHP Blake Snell from AAA Durham and he will start against the New York Yankees on Saturday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Snell is 1-1 with a 2.51 ERA and 21 strikeouts in three starts with Durham this season.

Snell, 23, will be used as the fifth starter instead of RHP Erasmo Ramirez, who was scheduled to start but was needed in relief on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox. Snell was named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America in 2015.

“Can’t have dreamed of a better way,” Snell told Topkin. “It’s really such an amazing time for me. And I’m really fortunate to be in this situation.”

Snell throws a fastball that goes between 87-94 MPH, a 72-76 MPH curveball, and a 80-83 MPH changeup. He also throws a slider in there and is able to set up his secondary pitches by changing the eye level of the hitter. He generates a lot of groundballs, but is also a strikeout pitcher. He’s averaged more than nine strikeouts per nine innings during his time in the Rays system.

As previously mentioned, Snell will start Saturday vs. the Yankees.

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