Cy Sneed

Cy Sneed
Sneed with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows
Free agent
Pitcher
Born: (1992-10-01) October 1, 1992 (age 32)
Elko, Nevada, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Professional debut
MLB: June 27, 2019, for the Houston Astros
NPB: May 9, 2021, for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows
MLB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Win–loss record0–4
Earned run average5.59
Strikeouts44
NPB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Win–loss record24-24
Earned run average3.95
Strikeouts357
Teams
Career highlights and awards
NPB

Cy Robert Sneed (born October 1, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Career

Amateur

Sneed attended Twin Falls High School in Twin Falls, Idaho. In 2011, his senior year, Sneed pitched to a 9–0 win–loss record with a 1.36 earned run average (ERA) with 130 strikeouts, and batted .467 with 11 home runs and 38 runs batted in. He led his team to win the Class 4A state championship.[1] Sneed was named the Times-News Player of the Year,[2] and the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year for Idaho.[1]

The Texas Rangers selected Sneed in the 35th round of the 2011 MLB draft. He did not sign, opting to enroll at Dallas Baptist University to play NCAA baseball for the Dallas Baptist Patriots. He played with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2013.[3] As a junior at Dallas Baptist in 2014, Sneed had an 8–3 win–loss record with a 3.55 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 104 innings pitched.[4]

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers selected Sneed in the third round of the 2014 MLB draft,[5] and he signed with the Brewers. After signing, he was assigned to the Helena Brewers where he pitched to an 0–2 record and 5.92 ERA in 11 games. Sneed spent the first half of the 2015 season with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, and after going 3–7 with a 2.68 ERA in 15 games (13 starts), was named a Midwest League All-Star.[2] He spent the second half of the season with the Brevard County Manatees where he pitched to a 3–4 record and 2.47 ERA in 11 games started.[6]

Houston Astros

On November 19, 2015, the Brewers traded Sneed to the Houston Astros for Jonathan Villar.[7] He spent the 2016 season with the Corpus Christi Hooks where he posted a 6–5 record and 4.04 ERA in 25 games.[8] In 2017, he pitched for both Corpus Christi and the Fresno Grizzlies, going a combined 10–6 with a 5.97 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 26 total games (18 starts) between the two teams.[9] He returned to Fresno in 2018.[10] In 2019, Sneed opened the season with the Round Rock Express, and was named to the Pacific Coast League all-star team.[11] He posted a 7–6 record with a 4.19 ERA over 81.2 innings for them.

On June 27, 2019, the Astros promoted Sneed to the major leagues.[12] With Houston in 2019, Sneed posted a 0–1 record with a 5.48 ERA over 21+1⁄3 innings. In 2020 he was 0–3 with a 5.71 ERA in 18 relief appearances over 17+1⁄3 innings in which he struck out 21 batters.[13]

Tokyo Yakult Swallows

On December 2, 2020, the Astros requested unconditional release waivers on Sneed so that he could sign with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball.[14]

On November 2, 2022, Sneed re-signed with the Swallows for the 2023 season. On June 23, 2023, Sneed tossed a complete game shutout against the Chunichi Dragons; he allowed 6 hits and struck out 5 batters in the game to earn his seventh consecutive win.[15]

On November 28, 2023, Sneed re-signed a one-year contract worth $1.55 million for the 2024 season. [16] On November 6, the Swallows announced they would not retain Sneed for the 2025 season making him a free agent.

Personal life

Sneed has an older brother, Zeb. They were born in Elko, Nevada. His father, a sergeant in the Nevada Highway Patrol, took a demotion to move the family to Twin Falls in 2007, because their high school had a stronger baseball team that Sneed and his brother could play for.[2] Sneed is the third member of his family to be selected in the MLB draft; his father played college baseball but did not sign with a professional team,[17] and his brother was drafted and played professionally.[18]

Sneed and his wife, Hannah, were married in November 2014.[4] An avid outdoorsman, he hunts and fishes.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b Bashore, David (June 2, 2011). "Twin Falls' Cy Sneed earns Gatorade Player of the Year honors". Twin Falls Times-News. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Bashore, David (June 13, 2011). "Twin Falls star Cy Sneed led Bruins with arm, bat". Twin Falls Times-News. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  3. ^ "#33 Cy Sneed". pointstreak.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Brainerd, Bob (April 23, 2015). "Cy-chologist on the Mound". TWC Sports Channel. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  5. ^ Bashore, David (June 6, 2014). "Twin Falls Graduate Cy Sneed Selected in 3rd Round of MLB Draft". Twin Falls Times-News. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  6. ^ "Milwaukee Brewers prospect Cy Sneed fans career-high 10 in Brevard County Manatees loss". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  7. ^ "Astros acquire pitcher Cy Sneed from Brewers". MLB.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  8. ^ "Hooks announce opening-day roster". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  9. ^ "Cy Sneed Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  10. ^ "Backed by Tucker, Sneed goes distance". MiLB.com. June 22, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  11. ^ "Express OF Kyle Tucker, RHP Cy Sneed Named to PCL All-Star Team". MiLB.com. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  12. ^ Connor Byrne (June 27, 2019). "Astros To Select Cy Sneed". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  13. ^ "Cy Sneed Stats". Baseball-Reference.com.
  14. ^ "NPB's Yakult Swallows to Sign Cy Sneed". December 2, 2020.
  15. ^ "[Yakult] Saisneed's first complete seal in the third year of coming to Japan. In the Chunichi game, he won 7 consecutive games "As a result of throwing my own pitch. A very good game". news.yahoo.co.jp. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  16. ^ https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/5270fa978ab9735113eee234f04ce159726729e5?source=sns&dv=pc&mid=other&date=20231128&ctg=spo&bt=tw_up [bare URL]
  17. ^ a b "Outdoor enthusiast Sneed looking to reel in victories for Rattlers". Post-Crescent Media. June 13, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  18. ^ "Zeb Sneed Minor & Independent League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 21, 2016.