Dodgers: 3 most hated Padres ahead of weekend showdown

2. Blake Snell

Blake Snell seems to think he’s Clayton Kershaw. Blake Snell is no Clayton Kershaw.

Objectively, from a rivalry standpoint, it’s awesome that Snell made his way directly from Game 6 of the World Series, where his removal led almost immediately to a Dodgers championship, to the NL West in a trade with the Rays.

Clearly, Snell’s intention this season was to take the ball every fifth day and hold onto it for as many innings as possible. After losing out on a gem because of his manager Kevin Cash’s insistence on going by the book, Snell wanted to be a new man out west who could determine his own destiny.

So far, so … eh. Across four starts, he’s only thrown 15.1 innings. He’s yet to make it to the sixth inning in any game this season. And yet his abject failure hasn’t prevented him from trash-talking like he’s reached his goal, taking Trevor Bauer to task after his first start against the Dodgers for … digging a gigantic toe hole during his time sharing the mound?

Bauer said Snell created the hole, Snell continued to sneer … it was a tiny “thing” that Snell definitely intended to be a major fissure in the rivalry.

He wants the smoke; that much is obvious. Unfortunately for Snell, most of the smoke in your typical MLB game comes in the seventh or eighth. If he’s going to continue bringing a cocky ace’s attitude to the mound without an ace’s moxie, then he’s going to be atop this list for a long time.