Mere hours remain until Los Angeles Dodgers southpaw and former Tampa Bay Rays ace Blake Snell takes the mound in Game 1 of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. 

It has been five years since Snell last performed in the Fall Classic, and so much has changed. In the 2020 World Series, he was younger and more inexperienced, trying to lead the Rays past the very team whose logo rests on the front of his jersey today.  

Snell’s climactic moment on the biggest stage in baseball was enveloped in frustration, as Rays manager Kevin Cash pulled him in Game 6 against the Dodgers when Snell wanted to pitch through the sixth inning. Half a decade later, Snell hardly gives the situation any thought. 

“I don’t think about it, really, at all anymore,” Snell said Thursday in Toronto.  

Back then, Snell’s mind was occupied by “what-if’s.” 

“When it happened, I would say probably for, like, a week I was thinking about it: what could have been different, what I could have done, the ups and downs of just feelings.” 

Snell’s mindset eventually shifted, and he used the experience as a point of improvement. 

“But then ultimately it led to, if I would have done more early on in my career to gain (Cash’s) trust, it would have been a different outcome, I think. So learn from it, and ultimately it made me a better pitcher, just because I understand the game more than just myself, just the pieces, the parts and how it all works.” 

At 32 years old, things haven’t just changed for Snell on the mound, but in life, which has lent to a maturation process. 

“I would say I’ve matured, I’ve grown up,” Snell said. “I was kind of a kid still in 2020 to now a man (with a) family; wife. A lot has changed, yeah.” 

Tampa Bay fell to the Dodgers in that fateful Game 6, 3-1, and Snell would be traded to the San Diego Padres two months later despite a strong tenure with the Rays, which saw him win the Cy Young Award in 2018 after posting a 21-5 record and a 1.89 ERA.  

In San Diego, Snell found more success, culminating in his second Cy Young Award in 2023. Snell followed up his time with the Padres with a short stint in San Francisco before landing in Los Angeles on a five-year, $182 million contract, fulfilling a goal he kept in his mind. 

“Just seeing what they’re able to do, and knowing how important postseason is to them, and that’s just something I wanted to be a part of,” Snell during the National League Championship Series.  

“Even playing against them, watching, it was just always in the back of my mind, I wanted to be a Dodger and play on that team.” 

Following Snell’s departure from Tampa Bay, Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder remains close with him and continues to watch the progression of his career and his development as a pitcher. 

“He’s just evolved at this point to being a complete pitcher,” Snyder told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. “One that can take advanced information for a game plan and go out and execute it differently than (just) controlling the strike zone with good stuff like he did when he was young.” 

Through three starts, Snell’s postseason has been one to remember. He is 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA, 28 strikeouts and only six hits allowed. 

“He’s developed a ton of body control to go with that competitiveness, to go with that overall arm talent,” Snyder added. “And he’s able to put it to work.” 

“It’s been fun to watch.” 

All the work and growth have led to this point, and Snell is eager to make the most of it. 

“To be here now, it’s a dream come true,” he said. “I couldn’t wish for anything more. I’m just going to do the best I can to help us win a World Series.”