EXCLUSIVE: Cubs’ Senior Pitching Coordinator Lauds Blake Snell, Unpacks 2023 NL CY Young Winner’s Pitching Arsenal

The Chicago Cubs’ pitching woes are no secret, and with free agency buzzing, speculation swirls around potential solutions. Which is the one name garnering particular attention? Fireballer Blake Snell. But does his high-octane arsenal translate to a good fit for the North Siders?

We don’t have the answer yet, but in an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, the Cubs’ senior pitching coordinator, Casey Jacobson, offered some tantalizing insights.

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Forget subtlety. When describing Snell in the EssentiallySports Exclusive, Jacobson pulled no punches. “Snell’s a super exciting pitcher… there’s a ton of punch.” It’s music to the ears of any Cubs fan yearning for strikeouts. Jacobson further elaborated, “He’s the kinda guy that, you know, he’s gonna give you a good opportunity to win games even when he’s facing really good lineups… there’s just so much swing-and-miss in that arsenal!” So what is the secret sauce?

“That breaking ball and the fastball pair so nicely,” Casey gushed. Imagine this: batters flinching from Blake Snell’s blazing fastball, only to be fooled by the sharp bite of his curve. Talk about keeping hitters off balance! Snell’s 234 strikeouts season in 2023, which clinched him that NL Cy Young, wasn’t just good; it was electric. And according to Jacobson, that’s just the beginning. Why?

“After coming off the season that he had, you know, he’s got an opportunity to really build on that momentum and have a handful of more really good seasons.” The prospect of a pitcher riding a hot streak is undeniably tempting. However, Jacobson threw in a dose of caution as well.

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“I don’t know what’s gonna happen, where he’s gonna land.” The free-agent market is a fickle beast, and the Cubs face stiff competition. But there’s no mistaking the excitement in Jacobson’s voice seen in the exclusive interview by EssentiallySports: “It’s a really exciting pitcher; it’s a really talented guy from everything that I’ve seen—again, from afar, with him, you know, obviously with the progress.”

Whether the Cubs take the plunge is a guess as good as anybody else’s. Concerns about Blake Snell’s control and consistency linger, and his expected hefty price tag of $270 million adds another layer of complexity. But as Casey Jacobson emphasizes, the potential is undeniable.

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The allure of a pitcher with Snellzilla’s raw talent is undeniable. His “ton of punch” and strikeout potential could be exactly what any team’s ailing rotation needs. But ultimately, the decision rests on weighing risk and reward. Will the Cubs themselves gamble on harnessing Snell’s electric arm, or will they seek a safer, more predictable option? Only time will tell who throws the next pitch in this intriguing saga.