PORT ST. LUCIE, FL: Robby Snelling of the Miami Marlins pitches against the New York Mets at Clover Park on Feb 21, 2026 in Spring Training. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Robby Snelling has gone from hitting hard to avoiding hard hits. The stocky left-hander is set to make his Major League Baseball debut for the Miami Marlins on the mound tonight.

Once a star linebacker at McQueen High School in Reno, NV, the 22-year-old turned down several college grid offers to concentrate on baseball. It was just one of many career-changing decisions that led to this opportunity.

The best alterations have come recently as he applied lessons learned in the minor leagues that have made him a more complete pitcher.

"He’s been on a roll (since) the ⁠end of last year, really pitched well this spring," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told reporters upon announcing the callup. "We saw the stuff was there, and he threw the ball ​well in spring, and he’s done nothing but enhance that with how he's gone out and thrown the ball and performed to ​this point in Jacksonville.

“Robby’s a great competitor. I think he's worked really hard, ‌and he's performed in a manner that he's very deserving of this opportunity."

In six starts at Triple-A Jacksonville this year, he had a 3-1 record, 1.86 earned run average and four times as many strikeouts (44) than hits allowed (11) in 29 innings. One blemish was a high walks total (15) – an alarming 4.7 per nine innings and much higher than his 2.99 rate in 355 career innings entering 2026.

It is due to increased velocity (93-95 mph) and vertical movement on his four-seam fastball and a curve (82-84 mph) that is dipping and darting better. He has allowed only one hit all year on his third pitch, an improving changeup. The mix confounds batters and sometimes the young hurler, too, as he is still tries to master it all.

Not to be overlooked is his athleticism. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder tracks down baseballs hit his way like he did ball carriers. He won a 2025 Minor-League Gold Glove for his fielding.

So Many Options

In high school, Snelling did it all on the baseball or football field. He was a quarterback-linebacker on a state title team as a senior. On the diamond that year, he went 8-0 with a 0.56 ERA and batted .450 with 21 homers. He fanned 20 in a seven-inning game. He competed in the high school home run derby before the 2021 MLB All-Star Game in Denver.

It made for many choices – and several switched decisions.

He committed in 2019 to play college baseball at Stanford, then recanted as he got attention from more than 20 other schools to play football. He committed to playing both sports at Arizona, where former University of Nevada baseball coach Jay Johnson had gone. Johnson befriended Snelling years earlier.

When Johnson left for Louisiana State, Snelling said he would go there – until the San Diego Padres picked him in the first round (No. 39) in the 2022 MLB Draft.

"That’s the team that I went into today being like, 'I would love to go to them,’ " Snelling told Nevada Sports Net. “It’s crazy just because everything before was, 'I want to stay on the West Coast so I can be here for my family, and spring training is in Arizona.’ ”

He entered the draft as the 16th overall prospect, as ranked by MLB.com. He got $3 million to sign, about $1 million above slot value.

Snelling immediately hit the fast track, zooming up three levels in his first pro season with an 11-3 record and 1.86 ERA. He fanned 118, walked only 36 and allowed 82 hits over 103 1/3 innings in 2023

Hold On, More Changes

Everything became jumbled in 2024. Snelling’s velocity dipped and he was hit hard at Double-A San Antonio, going 2-8 with a 6.01 ERA.

Snelling’s love for the Padres’ organization was jilted at the trading deadline. He and right-hander Adam Mazur along with infield prospects Graham Pauley and Jay Beshears were dealt to Miami for relievers Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing.

The deal became a blessing. Marlins instructors got Snelling back on track in 2025. He compiled a 9-7 record and 2.61 ERA over 14 starts at Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A. He was nearly invincible after being promoted to Jacksonville: 6-2, 1.27 ERA, 17 walks and 81 strikeouts.

Three Other Large Lefties

Snelling resembles three other large left-handers who combined for three no-hitters, two perfect games and 576 wins over outstanding careers.

Greg Swindell was the No. 2 overall pick by Cleveland in 1986 and made his MLB debut that year after striking out 25 over 18 minor-league innings. That debut was a disastrous 24-5 loss. Swindell gave up six runs on six hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings.

He went on to win 123 games with 40 complete games and 12 shutouts for six teams until 1999. He had a 1.86 post-season ERA in 13 games, all as a reliever.

David Wells was the Toronto Blue Jays’ second-round pick in 1982. He made the majors five years later as a reliever, became a 20-game winner and pitched for nine MLB clubs over 21 seasons until age 44.

He totaled 239 wins, 54 complete games and 12 shutouts – one of them a perfect games for the New York Yankees in 1998.

Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitched one perfect game and another no-hitter when he allowed only a walk to slugger Sammy Sosa. In 16 seasons for three-teams he had 214 wins, 33 complete games and 10 shutouts.

Buehrle was only a 38th-round pick in 1998, the 1,139th player chosen. Despite being 6-2, 240 pounds, he was a four-time Gold Glove winner.

Snelling’s Future With Miami Marlins

When he makes his first pitch against the Washington Nationals at loanDepot park, Snelling will become the 18th player and sixth pitcher from the 2022 first round to make the majors. Pitchers Noah Schultz (No. 26, Chicago White Sox) and JR Ritchie (No. 35, Atlanta Braves) debuted last month.

Snelling joins a good rotation that includes four right-handers, led by 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara. Hard-throwing Eury Perez has been erratic Janson Junk (2.82 ERA) and Max Meyer (2.79) have been pleasantly surprising.

Snelling has elite stuff and a bulldog mentality, He’s primed for success with a ball club seeking to achieve a .500 record for only the third time since 2009.

The Miami Marlins went 79-83 last season under first-year manager McCullough. The addition of Snelling may make them more competitive.