"How the heck am I 82 gold" - When Blake Snell raged over MLB The Show's subpar rating

By most measures, Blake Snell would be considered one of the best pitchers in modern MLB. However, according to baseball's most popular video games, Snell might not be as dominant as many consider him to be.

During livestreaming session on the Twitch platform back in 2020, it was brought to Snell's attention that he had been rated "82 Gold" on the then upcoming MLB The Show video game. With his reaction being livestreamed to thousands, Snell proceeded to offer a brutally honest retort to what he felt was an understatement of his skill.

Though a rating of 82 is not bad by the game's standards, other arms have significantly higher scores than Blake Snell.

"Here we go, how the heck am I 82 Gold. What kind of crap is that, 82 Gold. Bro the disrespect. That's what I am saying y'all," Snell had said.

The pitcher then had proceeded to ask his audience to determine whether he had receieved a correct rating through a Poll in the live comments section. Though some may find Blake Snell's outrage misplaced, it was legitimate coming from an ace to would later go on to win a second Cy Young.

In 2023, Snell went 14-9, pitching to an NL-best 2.25 ERA across 180 innings. On account of the tremendous performance, Snell was conferred the Cy Young Award, his second such honor after he won the same pitching distinction as a member of the 2018 Tampa Bay Rays.

Blake Snell continues to play the waiting game

While Snell is indeed getting dangerously close to the start of the season without a team, his agent, Scott Boras, seems to have a strategy with regards to his client. Speaking to ESPN earlier this week, Boras said:

"We've got so many starting pitchers that are now compromised. Maybe short-term. Some long-term. And the calls for elite starters are starting to increase. With many clubs right now, because of the pitching issue, the competitiveness of their seasons is at risk."

According to Snell's agent, the market for top-tier starters is only maturing. When it comes time to pull the trigger, it would be hard to imagine Snell's previous The Show rating getting in the way of a contract.

Still a free agent with less than a month to go until opening day, Snell turned down a $150 million, six-year offer from the New York Yankees in January. It is widely thought that the 31-year old is eyeing a longer-term deal.