Snead Makes Major League Debut with Toronto
Thursday, July 29, 2021 | Baseball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Former Gators left-handed pitcher Kirby Snead made his Major League debut on Wednesday, pitching two-thirds of an inning without allowing a baserunner for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Boston Red Sox.
Snead entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with Toronto trailing, 4-1. With one out and runners on first and second, Snead needed just three pitches to induce an inning-ending double play off the bat of rookie outfielder Jarren Duran.
Snead previously had his Minor League contract purchased by the Blue Jays on July 26 and joined Toronto on the road at Boston that same night. Now that he has officially made his MLB debut, Snead represents the 77th Gator to play in the big leagues and the 25th player under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan to do so.
Snead is the fifth member of Florida's 2016 draft class to reach the MLB, following Pete Alonso (second round), Shaun Anderson (third round), Dane Dunning (first round) and A.J. Puk (first round) – all of whom debuted in 2019 with the exception of Dunning, who reached the MLB in 2020. Additionally, Snead is the fourth former Gator to make his MLB Debut in 2021, as Jonathan India (first round – 2018), Jackson Kowar (first round – 2018) and Taylor Gushue (fourth round – 2014) all debuted earlier this season.
Having been drafted in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by Toronto, Snead spent parts of five seasons in the Minor Leagues. Across 227.2 professional innings in the Blue Jays farm system, Snead owns a 20-10 record with 23 saves, 22 holds, a 2.96 ERA and 236 strikeouts. All but one of Snead's 177 career appearances have come in relief.
Prior to the call-up, the southpaw spent the entirety of the 2021 campaign at Triple-A Buffalo, working to a 2-0 record and 2.01 ERA with 43 strikeouts over 31.1 frames. During that time, Snead saved four games in six opportunities while adding five holds to his resume. He is the proud owner of a 0.86 Minor League WHIP in 2021.
Looking back to his days in Orange and Blue, Snead starred for three seasons as a mainstay in the Florida bullpen. The Alachua, Fla. native totaled 111.1 career innings across 101 appearances including one start, finishing with a 7-1 record, four saves, 2.75 ERA and 88 strikeouts.
Snead entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with Toronto trailing, 4-1. With one out and runners on first and second, Snead needed just three pitches to induce an inning-ending double play off the bat of rookie outfielder Jarren Duran.
Snead previously had his Minor League contract purchased by the Blue Jays on July 26 and joined Toronto on the road at Boston that same night. Now that he has officially made his MLB debut, Snead represents the 77th Gator to play in the big leagues and the 25th player under head coach Kevin O'Sullivan to do so.
Snead is the fifth member of Florida's 2016 draft class to reach the MLB, following Pete Alonso (second round), Shaun Anderson (third round), Dane Dunning (first round) and A.J. Puk (first round) – all of whom debuted in 2019 with the exception of Dunning, who reached the MLB in 2020. Additionally, Snead is the fourth former Gator to make his MLB Debut in 2021, as Jonathan India (first round – 2018), Jackson Kowar (first round – 2018) and Taylor Gushue (fourth round – 2014) all debuted earlier this season.
Having been drafted in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by Toronto, Snead spent parts of five seasons in the Minor Leagues. Across 227.2 professional innings in the Blue Jays farm system, Snead owns a 20-10 record with 23 saves, 22 holds, a 2.96 ERA and 236 strikeouts. All but one of Snead's 177 career appearances have come in relief.
Prior to the call-up, the southpaw spent the entirety of the 2021 campaign at Triple-A Buffalo, working to a 2-0 record and 2.01 ERA with 43 strikeouts over 31.1 frames. During that time, Snead saved four games in six opportunities while adding five holds to his resume. He is the proud owner of a 0.86 Minor League WHIP in 2021.
Looking back to his days in Orange and Blue, Snead starred for three seasons as a mainstay in the Florida bullpen. The Alachua, Fla. native totaled 111.1 career innings across 101 appearances including one start, finishing with a 7-1 record, four saves, 2.75 ERA and 88 strikeouts.
| MLB Players Under O'Sullivan | ||||
| Player | Drafted (Round) | MLB Debut | Team | |
| 1 | Nick Maronde | 2011 (3rd) | September 2, 2012 | Los Angeles Angels |
| 2 | Paco Rodriguez | 2012 (2nd) | September 9, 2012 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 3 | Mike Zunino | 2012 (1st - 3rd overall) | June 12, 2013 | Seattle Mariners |
| 4 | Kevin Chapman | 2010 (4th) | August 9, 2013 | Houston Astros |
| 5 | Matt den Dekker | 2010 (5th) | August 29, 2013 | New York Mets |
| 6 | Anthony DeSclafani | 2011 (6th) | May 14, 2014 | Miami Marlins |
| 7 | Cole Figueroa | 2008 (6th) | May 16, 2014 | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 8 | Preston Tucker | 2012 (7th) | May 7, 2015 | Houston Astros |
| 9 | Brian Johnson | 2012 (1st - 31st overall) | July 21, 2015 | Boston Red Sox |
| 10 | Nolan Fontana | 2012 (2nd) | May 22, 2017 | Los Angeles Angels |
| 11 | Austin Maddox | 2012 (3rd) | June 17, 2017 | Boston Red Sox |
| 12 | Harrison Bader | 2015 (3rd) | July 25, 2017 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 13 | Bobby Poyner | 2015 (14th) | March 31, 2018 | Boston Red Sox |
| 14 | Justin Shafer | 2014 (8th) | August 19, 2018 | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 15 | Eric Hanhold | 2015 (6th) | September 4, 2018 | New York Mets |
| 16 | Richie Martin | 2015 (1st - 20th overall) | March 28, 2019 | Baltimore Orioles |
| 17 | Pete Alonso | 2016 (2nd) | March 28, 2019 | New York Mets |
| 18 | Shaun Anderson | 2016 (3rd) | May 15, 2019 | San Francisco Giants |
| 19 | A.J. Puk | 2016 (1st - 6th overall) | August 21, 2019 | Oakland Athletics |
| 20 | Brady Singer | 2018 (1st - 18th overall) | July 25, 2020 | Kansas City Royals |
| 21 | Dane Dunning | 2016 (1st - 29th overall) | August 19, 2020 | Chicago White Sox |
| 22 | Jonathan India | 2018 (1st - 5th overall) | Thursday, April 1, 2021 | Cincinnati Reds |
| 23 | Jackson Kowar | 2018 (1st - 33rd overall) | Monday, June 7, 2021 | Kansas City Royals |
| 24 | Taylor Gushue | 2014 (4th) | Wednesday, June 30, 2021 | Chicago Cubs |
| 25 | Kirby Snead | 2016 (10th) | Wednesday, July 28, 2021 | Toronto Blue Jays |
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