"The off-season definitely hurt him" - MLB fans blame Blake Snell's prolonged free agency following underwhelming Giants debut 

Newly acquired San Francisco Giants ace Blake Snell had an underwhelming debut with his team and fans believe that it is a result of his prolonged free agency ahead of the season. The reigning NL Cy Young winner made his debut with his new team against the Washington Nationals but failed to impress Giants fans as he struggled to find his footing.

Snell lasted only three innings and gave up as many runs. Fans across social media believe that missing Spring Training is the reason behind his poor outing:

"The off-season definitely hurt him," wrote one fan on X/Twitter. "He just needs to knock the rust off," added another.

"The biggest problem is the rule changes," wrote @GTP_Podcast on X.

"That's brutal," added @Schirombaseball.

"Squeezed the entire start," wrote @reseskylark on X.

"It makes sense," added @xTh3Kn1ghtx.

"He was poorly advised," wrote @kipb.

"It’s going to be hard for him to come close as good as he was last year," wrote @a_jay_619.

Blake Snell was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays as a top prospect in the 2011 MLB draft and went on to make his major league debut with them in 2016. He soon established himself as a capable starter, leading to his first and only All-Star appearance in 2018.

He also won his first Cy Young Award, finishing as the AL wins and ERA leader at the same time. He was then traded to the San Diego Padres ahead of 2021, and while he took some time to settle in, he finished his time there with his second Cy Young win last year.

Since he signed a $80 million contract with the San Francisco Giants just days before the start of the new MLB season, there has been much anticipation among fans to see Blake Snell in action. However, his debut for the club was a bit of a letdown, giving up three hits and three runs in as many innings on the night.

There is no doubt that he can do better and fans believe that he will do it, once he gets some more action under his belt this season.

Blake Snell opens up about prolonged free agency prior to signing with Giants

While many in the MLB world expected Blake Snell to do better on his Giants debut, the ace's interview last week shows that he is in the right mindset. Ahead of his lackluster start to the season, Snell spoke to FOX Sports and admitted he was confused when his free agency lasted so long. However, he is happy with where he landed and is determined to prove himself once again:

"This is where I'm supposed to be... There's no bitterness, nothing. I'm happy, and I don't mind proving myself."

Despite the underwhelming start to the season against the Washington Nationals, Snell will now be looking to pick up the pace and get back to his best.