SAN FRANCISCO — When Blake Snell takes the hill Monday for the first time with the Giants, fans will understandably expect a cool-as-a-cucumber, kind of goofy, laid-back lefty, a guy who throws hard but games harder.
That may be the public persona that has become associated with the two-time Cy Young winner, aided by his devoted streaming audience on Twitch, his comic book-inspired nickname — “Snellzilla” — and endearing postgame soundbites through a drawl heard inside high school food courts up and down the West Coast.
When it comes time to lock in, though, such as 6:45 p.m. Monday evening, the Giants are learning there is a different side to their $62 million free-agent prize.
“I knew he was a funny dude and kind of goofy in some ways,” assistant pitching coach J.P. Martinez said. “But he’s an assassin when it comes to how to get ready for his pen work, how to go through his mound work.”
Snell began breaking down stereotypes as soon as he arrived in Scottsdale, signing his contract with only a week left in camp. Kyle Harrison, who idolized the fellow southpaw as a rising star at De La Salle, remembers the first conversation he had with him.
“I was like, ‘Kind of a goofball, dude?’ and he was like, ‘Nah man, I just love baseball and I love being around the team,’ ” Harrison recalled. “That’s what he’s been all about. He’s been nothing but that. That label does tend to stick around him, but I don’t know why. He’s a hard-ass worker. He works his butt off. He’s going to be great this year. I’m looking forward to watching him.”
As soon as the ink had dried on Snell’s contract, he was in uniform in the Giants’ dugout at Scottsdale Stadium. Before even being officially introduced — that would come the following morning — Snell sought out Martinez and pulled him aside for a 15-20 minute rundown in the dugout during the game that night.
“Just the amount of detail he went into about his pregame prep, his in-between start routine, he was just really dialed in,” Martinez said. “That made a really strong first impression on me, for sure. He’s just been so fun to watch work.”
The 23-year-old Harrison, in particular, has appreciated having another left-hander around to pick the mind of. He is scheduled to get the ball Tuesday, pairing the two southpaws back-to-back in the Giants’ rotation.
“He’s definitely a different kind of cat. But it’s a good cat to have,” Harrison said. “He talks like we’re different pitchers, the lefties. It’s kind of cool to see someone through that lens as well. He’s reserved, but not afraid to make fun of you. Not in a mean way. It’s always kind of in a caring way. He was telling me, ‘Don’t worry, I’m here now, I’ll help you out with whatever you need.’ He’s been nothing but great to me. I love that guy so far.”
Since Snell was introduced on March 18, outfielder Austin Slater said he has been impressed by the 31-year-old from the Seattle suburbs “trying to get like six weeks of spring training into two weeks.” Slater was one of three batters to stand in the box during Snell’s final tuneup, a five-inning simulated game Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, and said, “I thought it was really impressive the adjustments he was able to make over the course of the live. He looked really, really good by the end of it.”
Without a traditional spring training under his belt, manager Bob Melvin said to expect Snell to have about five innings and 70 or so pitches in him for his season debut.
“It’s more about how he feels,” Melvin said. “It was an unorthodox spring for him, trying to ramp up. He hasn’t really pitched in a game-game. So, (there are) some unknowns going out there. … It’s going to be a lot more intensity going on out there.”
Facing minor-league hitters twice before requesting a third simulated game against major-league competition, Melvin said Snell handled the situation “as well as he can. He just didn’t feel ready after being rushed and some simulated games, which aren’t too terribly invigorating.”
Snell has historically fared well at Oracle Park, with a 1.59 ERA in four career starts, but said he is waiting to pass judgement on pitching in the ballpark until he’s had the home fans on his side.
“Everyone keeps telling me about it,” he said last week. “I don’t know, I like it. … I’ve got to get a feel for it. I’m very big on feel. Now that I’m on the other side, on the home team, I like to feel that. Feel the fans. Feel the energy. I can’t just be like, oh it’s the best ever. But I’ve been hearing that the most. ‘Oh, he’s going to dominate this park.’ I don’t know what I’m going to feel at the park. I want to dominate. But we’ll see how I feel there, how it feels to pitch there on the other side, what the energy’s like.”
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The Giants have advertised Snell’s first start like it is a bobblehead giveaway, and they’re hoping their free-agent attraction can draw more fans than a typical Monday night game against the Washington Nationals. That atmosphere is something that can’t be replicated on the backfields in Arizona, or before the gates open at Dodger Stadium.
“I think the thing that was missing from his prep for the season was the adrenaline. It’s really really tough to replicate that,” Martinez said. “We all know how Oracle feels during a night game. Weather wise, crowd chatter, the vibe. I think that’ll be a performance enhancer for him rather than a speed bump.”
And about that nickname?
Actually, it’s his older brother, Dru, who’s the Godzilla fan.
“My brother loves Godzilla. I don’t really love Godzilla; I like it,” Snell explained. “My older brother really liked the movie. I just followed him all day everywhere. He hated me. He would be like, ‘Leave me alone!’ and I’d be like, ‘No.’ Everything he did, I did. His gamertag was ‘Snellzilla,’ so when I made an Instagram, I called it ‘Snellzilla.’ I never thought anything of it. I get to the big leagues, and all of a sudden, I’m ‘Zilla.’ And then I was just like, ‘OK, let’s go with it.’”