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<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_coaches.aspx-3Frc-3D1291&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=7uBBZzHQjikYQ1igk_R2GUQYi1-k19f71wp-PMvj1Ig&s=bOhWuJQq6TrVQAVJAtnAd358CZ5ixVFoSIXBpSmriqU&e= > 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
