Blake Snell celebrated at half-time ceremony Thursday at Shorewood

Shorewood Athletic Director Joann Fukuma introducing Blake Snell
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Thursday evening, January 25, 2024, during the Shorewood versus Monroe varsity boys basketball halftime, Shorewood HS Athletic Director Joann Fukuma unveiled a Cy Young recognition banner for 2011 Shorewood alum Blake Snell. 

The Cy Young banner recognizing Blake Snell now hangs on the wall at Shorewood
Photo by Kristi Lin

While at Shorewood, Snell played baseball for coach Wyatt Tonkin. In his senior year he recorded a 9-0 won loss season. He had a 1.00 ERA average with 128 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched.

Immediately after, he was a first round draft pick for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Brothers Blake, David, and Tyler Snell
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

In April 2016 Blake Snell made his major league debut in a game against the New York Yankees. That season he had 24 starts with 119 strike outs and an ERA of 4.04

In 2018, playing for Tampa Bay, he was named the Cy Young winner as the best pitcher in the American League.

In Spring of 2023, playing for San Diego, he was awarded his second Cy Young, for the National League.

He is now one of only seven major league baseball pitchers to have earned this prestigious award in both leagues, joining Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Roy Halladay and Max Scherzer.

Student cheering section with their "Snell #4" t-shirts
Photo by Kristi Lin

Snell was greeted by over 400 Shorewood students, staff and administration wearing custom white t-shirts with his name and number, which was retired in a ceremony at Shorewood in 2016.

At Shorewood, Snell played baseball with coach Wyatt Tonkin
Photo by Kristi Lin

The sold out game crowd included many of Snell's family members and friends from the Shoreline community, his high school baseball coach Wyatt Tonkin and Superintendent Dr Susana Reyes. Snell was gracious in signing autographs for all, and posing for pictures with anyone who asked.

He is a free agent this year and it is unknown which team is going to sign him to a long term contract. Maybe the Mariners. That would make a lot of local fans happy.

--Diane Hettrick, with reporting from Wayne Pridemore and Joann Fukuma