The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series and have fired up the engines to start their quest for back-to-back titles. A team with postseason hopes can never have enough durable and effective starting pitching; thus, the Dodgers signed left-hander starter Blake Snell in the offseason to pitch among the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamato, and Roki Sasaki.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has been at the helm since 2016, and he is the perfect man for that gig. The tenured Roberts knows the importance of advanced analytics, in-game strategy, and thinking. Roberts spoke about- and praised — Snell's thinking, and those comments hold notable merit coming from the seasoned skipper.

“He's a next-level thinker,” Roberts claimed about Snell. “He's very in tune with who he is as a person. As a pitcher, he's really anxious to work and watch Clayton [Kershaw].”

Related Los Angeles Dodgers NewsArticle continues below
Dylan Crews in a Washington Nationals uniform in the foreground and Roki Sasaki in a Dodgers uniform in the background as sasaki's odds for rookie of the year dropped following opening day debut.
Roki Sasaki passed as NL ROY betting favorite after MLB debut
Shohei Ohtani New Balance, New Balance 990v6
Shohei Ohtani, New Balance reveal newest 990v6 sneakers
Dustin May as a silhouette. Dave Roberts.
Dodgers rumors: The ‘numbers problem’ that could lead to trades

Snell's ‘thinking' skills have translated very well to the mound. A two-time Cy Young Award winner, Snell owns a career 76-58 record with a 3.19 ERA across 211 games and starts. The 2011 first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays, this stint with the Dodgers will mark the fourth club he has pitched for — and his third with a National League West team.

Snell spent his first five years with the Rays before he joined the San Diego Padres for three seasons. The 32-year-old spent his 2024 season as a member of the San Francisco Giants. Last season, Snell was limited to just 20 starts due to various injuries.

Nonetheless, Snell looked pretty good last year when healthy. The left-handed Snell posted a 2.43 FIP across those 20 starts, including a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. Snell's 12.5 K/9 rate was the highest of his career, and his 1.04 WHIP was his lowest since he won the Cy Young Award back in 2018.

It's fair to assume Roberts will enjoy working with his starting rotation this season. With former Rays hurlers Snell and Glasnow, paired with the trio of Japanese pitching phenoms, Roberts will feel confident every day that his starter will give him quality innings and the Dodgers a chance to win.