From Ball State to the Big Leagues: Brad Snyder's journey through baseball
Brad Snyder, left, is in his 10th season in professional baseball, but just his first in the Astros organization.
By: Stephan Sharp (@StephanSharp)
When Brad Snyder left Ball State University after his junior year, it seemed like only a matter of time before the All-American outfielder was playing in the major leagues.
Snyder was selected 18th overall in the first round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft by the Cleveland Indians. Originally from Bellevue, Ohio, Snyder joined the nearby Indians organization after three very successful seasons at Ball State. Snyder, a first team Freshman All-American in 2001, continued his success in 2003 when he was named a first team All-American, along with winning Mid-American Conference Player of the Year.
Despite being from out-of-state, Snyder was intrigued by the prestige of the Ball State baseball program coming out of high school.
“Ball State has always had a really good baseball tradition,” Snyder said. “We’ve had a lot of top picks and a lot of talent come out of there. One reason I wanted to go there was guys before me like Larry Bigbie.”
Like Snyder, Bigbie was also named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in his junior year before being selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Bigbie was selected 21st overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 1999 and played parts of six seasons in the majors before retiring in 2010.
Snyder’s journey to the top levels of professional baseball has not been an easy ride. Undrafted out of high school, Snyder did not appear on Major League radars until he started producing at Ball State. Playing at the collegiate level helped Snyder know what to expect in the pros.
“I think [college baseball] is a must,” Snyder said. “I think college is a great learning tool. It helps develop your mind and gets you mentally prepared for professional baseball.”
After leaving Ball State, the first stop for Snyder in the Cleveland organization was with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in low-level Single-A. In a half season at this level after being drafted in 2003, Snyder batted .284 with 6 home runs and 31 runs batted in. Snyder continued his hot hitting over the next few seasons as he progressed through the Indians’ minor league system up to their Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, in 2007.
Unfortunately, Snyder suffered a broken thumb in his first season in Buffalo, limited him to just 86 games. Likely still feeling the effects of the broken thumb, Snyder batted a career-low .246 in 2008 with the Bisons. He was waived by the Indians after the 2008 season and claimed by the Chicago Cubs, then assigned to the Triple-A team, the Iowa Cubs. Despite being a first-round pick, Snyder knows that nothing in baseball is served on a silver platter.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” he said. “It’s not easy. No matter how high you’re picked in the draft or where you come from, baseball’s a hard game and everybody’s out here trying to do the same thing, trying to make the big leagues.”
Spending summers playing in minor league ballparks that most of the country has never heard of, Snyder knew his goal was still the big leagues even if it might have taken little detour.
“Being in the minor leagues has taught me to respect the game a lot,” Snyder said. “It helps me understand and realize that nothing comes easy. You’ve got to work for what you get.”
All of the hard work was starting to pay off for Snyder. Despite being hampered by a wrist injury for most of 2009, he still managed to hit 15 home runs and drive in 47 runs while hitting .278 in just 74 games.
Those numbers earned him an invitation to spring training in 2010. He batted .421 in 12 games that spring for the Cubs and his torrid pace continued throughout the year. Snyder batted .308 with 25 home runs and 106 runs batted in and was named a Pacific Coast League All-Star for the Iowa Cubs. This performance did not go unnoticed by the Cubs front office and Snyder was called up to the major league team. Being in the Cubs organization, it made his first call-up even more special when the news was given to him by a legendary Cub.
“When the Cubs called me up, it was a great day,” Snyder said. “Ryne Sandberg let me know and that was really cool. He was my manager that year, which was awesome being in the Chicago organization.”
Snyder’s first major league hit came on Sept. 19, 2010 against the Florida Marlins. Snyder stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the second inning and singled with two outs to get his first big league hit and runs batted in. Snyder would spend the rest of the 2010 season with the Cubs, collecting five hits and five runs batted in.
Sent back to Triple-A for the start of the 2011 season, Snyder continued to hit well enough to earn a call-up in June. After only one hit in nine at bats with the big league club, Snyder was sent back to Iowa.
Although Snyder did not struggle with the Iowa Cubs, hitting .290 with 11 home runs and 57 runs batted in, the Cubs opted not to renew his contract and Snyder filed for free agency following the 2011 season. Snyder, Ball State’s career leader in on-base percentage, signed a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training with the Houston Astros for 2012.
After competing for a back-up outfield spot on the Astros roster, Snyder was sent to their Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City to start the season. As of April 23, Snyder was hitting just .231 for the RedHawks, but is on pace for one of the highest on-base percentages of his career while trying to earn his way back to the majors later this season.
“When you get there and you see how great it is,” Snyder said. “[Having] the experience and everything about being in the big leagues, it makes getting there that much sweeter.”
When Brad Snyder left Ball State University after his junior year, it seemed like only a matter of time before the All-American outfielder was playing in the major leagues.
Snyder was selected 18th overall in the first round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft by the Cleveland Indians. Originally from Bellevue, Ohio, Snyder joined the nearby Indians organization after three very successful seasons at Ball State. Snyder, a first team Freshman All-American in 2001, continued his success in 2003 when he was named a first team All-American, along with winning Mid-American Conference Player of the Year.
Despite being from out-of-state, Snyder was intrigued by the prestige of the Ball State baseball program coming out of high school.
“Ball State has always had a really good baseball tradition,” Snyder said. “We’ve had a lot of top picks and a lot of talent come out of there. One reason I wanted to go there was guys before me like Larry Bigbie.”
Like Snyder, Bigbie was also named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in his junior year before being selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Bigbie was selected 21st overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 1999 and played parts of six seasons in the majors before retiring in 2010.
Snyder’s journey to the top levels of professional baseball has not been an easy ride. Undrafted out of high school, Snyder did not appear on Major League radars until he started producing at Ball State. Playing at the collegiate level helped Snyder know what to expect in the pros.
“I think [college baseball] is a must,” Snyder said. “I think college is a great learning tool. It helps develop your mind and gets you mentally prepared for professional baseball.”
After leaving Ball State, the first stop for Snyder in the Cleveland organization was with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in low-level Single-A. In a half season at this level after being drafted in 2003, Snyder batted .284 with 6 home runs and 31 runs batted in. Snyder continued his hot hitting over the next few seasons as he progressed through the Indians’ minor league system up to their Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, in 2007.
Unfortunately, Snyder suffered a broken thumb in his first season in Buffalo, limited him to just 86 games. Likely still feeling the effects of the broken thumb, Snyder batted a career-low .246 in 2008 with the Bisons. He was waived by the Indians after the 2008 season and claimed by the Chicago Cubs, then assigned to the Triple-A team, the Iowa Cubs. Despite being a first-round pick, Snyder knows that nothing in baseball is served on a silver platter.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” he said. “It’s not easy. No matter how high you’re picked in the draft or where you come from, baseball’s a hard game and everybody’s out here trying to do the same thing, trying to make the big leagues.”
Spending summers playing in minor league ballparks that most of the country has never heard of, Snyder knew his goal was still the big leagues even if it might have taken little detour.
“Being in the minor leagues has taught me to respect the game a lot,” Snyder said. “It helps me understand and realize that nothing comes easy. You’ve got to work for what you get.”
All of the hard work was starting to pay off for Snyder. Despite being hampered by a wrist injury for most of 2009, he still managed to hit 15 home runs and drive in 47 runs while hitting .278 in just 74 games.
Those numbers earned him an invitation to spring training in 2010. He batted .421 in 12 games that spring for the Cubs and his torrid pace continued throughout the year. Snyder batted .308 with 25 home runs and 106 runs batted in and was named a Pacific Coast League All-Star for the Iowa Cubs. This performance did not go unnoticed by the Cubs front office and Snyder was called up to the major league team. Being in the Cubs organization, it made his first call-up even more special when the news was given to him by a legendary Cub.
“When the Cubs called me up, it was a great day,” Snyder said. “Ryne Sandberg let me know and that was really cool. He was my manager that year, which was awesome being in the Chicago organization.”
Snyder’s first major league hit came on Sept. 19, 2010 against the Florida Marlins. Snyder stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the second inning and singled with two outs to get his first big league hit and runs batted in. Snyder would spend the rest of the 2010 season with the Cubs, collecting five hits and five runs batted in.
Sent back to Triple-A for the start of the 2011 season, Snyder continued to hit well enough to earn a call-up in June. After only one hit in nine at bats with the big league club, Snyder was sent back to Iowa.
Although Snyder did not struggle with the Iowa Cubs, hitting .290 with 11 home runs and 57 runs batted in, the Cubs opted not to renew his contract and Snyder filed for free agency following the 2011 season. Snyder, Ball State’s career leader in on-base percentage, signed a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training with the Houston Astros for 2012.
After competing for a back-up outfield spot on the Astros roster, Snyder was sent to their Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City to start the season. As of April 23, Snyder was hitting just .231 for the RedHawks, but is on pace for one of the highest on-base percentages of his career while trying to earn his way back to the majors later this season.
“When you get there and you see how great it is,” Snyder said. “[Having] the experience and everything about being in the big leagues, it makes getting there that much sweeter.”