I recently got a look at LHP Robby Snelling and even though it was not his best stat line of the season, it’s not hard to see what makes him such an exciting prospect. Lake Elsinore has some really notable names with Snelling, Ethan Salas, and Samuel Zavala on the roster. All of them played in this one. It was an off day for Henry Bolte unfortunately, but another outfielder for the Ports was very impressive. Snelling starts are entering must-watch territory and I am trying to catch as many as possible going down the stretch.
LHP Robby Snelling, #5 on Padres T30:
Snelling went 5 innings and gave up his highest run total of the year at three runs. He gave up eight hits, which was also his highest total of the season. Regardless, he struck out seven batters and only walked one in what was really a more impressive outing than the stat line would indicate.
Velocity wise, Snelling was sitting mostly 92-94 with the fastball and held it throughout most of the start. It dropped down a tick or two in his final inning, but nothing that was out of the ordinary and he fought through it well. The slider was in the 82-83 range and the change was hovering around 81-83. It was clear in the first inning that his command was not 100%, but it did not really hinder his first three innings. The breaking ball looked really sharp in these three innings and he was using the changeup more than he did when I saw him on opening night.
One of the biggest things to watch with him has been the development of the changeup, and I was impressed with the action on it and his comfort level with it in this game. He was using it fairly often and it was getting hitters to chase. The breaking ball is an above average pitch for Snelling and it was effective in these first three innings. It’s sharp, has plenty of break to it, and when he has east to west command of the fastball working, like he usually does, this breaking ball plays perfectly off of that.
The 4th inning is where things started to get a little shaky for Snelling. His command wavered and he fell into a pattern of overthrowing, especially with the slider. His stuff was still there and he was not getting hit particularly hard, so there was some bad luck with the runs and hits. Once the 5th inning hit, his fastball dropped a tad in velocity and the command issues were more prevalent. He labored through this inning, but he made some tough pitches to get out of it.
Even though it was a bit of a bumpy ending and the stat line looked bad, I still walked away with confidence in his stock rising higher and higher going forward. The way he fought through some issues and stayed calm out there was impressive and it is one of the nicest traits you can see in a 19 year old pitcher. The fastball has enough velocity and enough run on it to be an average to above average pitch, and when he locates it to both sides of the plate like he has shown the ability to, it really sets up his offspeed pitches nicely. He also likes to use that fastball up in the zone and it worked in this one, drawing a couple chases and setting up the breaking ball well. The slider is a legit above average breaker at worst and the changeup is making strides in all facets. He is gaining confidence in that pitch and using it more and more. He did not make our latest Top 100 list, but I do not think he is far off from joining that list and I see mid rotation upside with potential for slightly more in the left hander.
C Ethan Salas, #4 on Padres T30 and #42 on T100:
It was a quiet night for Salas, who went hitless in five plate appearances with one strikeout and one walk. The success has not been there for him in Single-A, but the approach and comfortability he has at the plate jumped out to me. In his first PA on the night he jumped on the first pitch with an aggressive swing and fouled it off. He then followed it up with four straight takes and took the walk. He really read the ball well the whole night and laid off a lot of tough pitches. Contact wise it was not a super impressive night, as he had some weak hits that did not do a whole lot. He made soft contact most of the night and showed a bad habit of flinging his wrists on the ball to make contact with it, but those swings have no impact or thump to them. Still, the swing, which features a toe tap and some real bat speed, looks really impressive.
Most of his good swings were on pitches he fouled off like that one above. The swing looks to have real untapped power potential in there, and as well all know Salas is only 17 years old and is far more advanced than most 17 year olds are. The patience, plate discipline, and approach were all extremely impressive. Those traits combined with the physical tools he has will bring production very soon.
OF Samuel Zavala, #3 on Padres T30:
In a range from June 9th to June 21st, I chose the only game that Zavala did not record a hit in to attend. He went 0-3 with two walks and two strikeouts in this one. I do not love the approach or the swing with Zavala, but the physical profile is hard not to like. His hands and hips are both incredibly fluid and loose, which is easy to see when he hits. He is not the quickest mover or the most athletic runner, but at the plate the smoothness jumps out. However, so does the inconsistency of the swing. His mechanics change up a lot, especially with his hands. He is very aggressive and it leads to way too many strike outs or poor contact. These two swings really tell the story of the two different types of swings Zavala will display, and the second one comes far too often.
In the field, Zavala is a little slow and did not take the best routes on a couple fly outs to center. I would lean towards him becoming a corner outfielder long term. His arm was accurate, albeit not all that strong. I still am probably higher on Zavala’s offensive profile and future than a lot of people, but he has more work to do than his recent statistical success would indicate. The swing must become more consistent and he has to fix his approach to have success going forward. If he can do that and cut those strikeouts down, he will become really interesting to me. Hopefully next time I see him I see some improvements.
OF Colby Thomas, #20 on the Athletics T30:
With Bolte getting a night off, Thomas was the biggest standout on the Ports’ roster to me in this one. He went 2-5 with a double and two strikeouts. Thomas is a shorter guy, but he is built with strength and has the kind of quick-twitch athleticism that works in the box. He has a quick and short swing and it was working here. On his double, he slapped a ball down the first base line and then let the jets he has do the rest. That brings me to one of the other jump out traits in Thomas, which is the fact that he can really fly. He looked like a potential plus runner to me and has all of the traits needed to play a good right field and make noise on the bases as well. There were some fastballs that blew by him and breaking stuff got some whiffs, which is a concern in the profile and he did have 2 strikeouts tonight. He came out of the 2022 draft with some hit questions, so seeing those still persisting is concerning, but he can impact the game in so many ways that I walked away pretty impressed. He has a lot to work on, but the trio of speed, strength, and athleticism is something he can build off going forward.