Collin Snider Bio
Collin Kenneth Snider, born on October 10, 1995, is an American professional baseball pitcher currently in the Chicago Cubs organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Mariners, establishing himself as a relief pitcher known for his strong sinker and command of the strike zone. After a successful amateur career at Riverdale High School and Vanderbilt University, he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2017 and made his MLB debut with the Royals in 2022.
Early Life and Background
Collin Kenneth Snider was born on October 10, 1995, and grew up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he attended Riverdale High School. He played four years of varsity baseball for the Riverdale Warriors, and his team captured district and regional championships from 2012 to 2014. During his senior year in 2014, Snider pitched a perfect game, an early sign of the talent that would eventually carry him to the professional ranks.
Snider came from a deeply athletic family. His parents, Jerry and Cheri Snider, and his siblings, Danielle, Spencer, Andrew, and Zachary, all competed in sports. His mother, Cheri Snider, was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2021. Growing up in a sports-focused household helped shape his competitive drive and work ethic. In his free time away from the diamond, he followed the Atlanta Braves and admired pitcher David Price, a fellow Murfreesboro native and Vanderbilt alum.
Path to Professional Baseball
Snider continued his baseball career at Vanderbilt University, one of the most respected college programs in the country. In three seasons serving as a reliever for the Vanderbilt Commodores, he posted a 7–2 record with a 3.62 ERA and recorded 68 strikeouts across 87 innings pitched. His college teammates included future MLB All-Stars Walker Buehler, Bryan Reynolds, and Dansby Swanson, giving Snider a front-row seat to elite-level competition. His Vanderbilt coaches were quick to praise his sinker, calling it “disgusting” and a “unicorn” because of its extreme movement, which made it extremely difficult for opposing batters to elevate.
After his sophomore year in 2016, Snider played collegiate summer baseball for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League, a key developmental step against top amateur talent. Following his junior season, the Kansas City Royals selected him in the 12th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft, officially launching his professional career.
Collin Snider Career
Early Career (2017–2021)
Snider began his professional journey in 2017 by debuting with the rookie-level Burlington Royals in June, later moving up to the Single-A Lexington Legends in August. He finished his first pro season with a cumulative 3.21 ERA across 17 appearances between the two affiliates. In 2018, he returned to Lexington and posted a 5.57 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 76 innings over 29 games. The following year, he split time between the rookie-level Arizona League Royals and the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks, recording a strong 2.24 ERA with 34 strikeouts across 31 games.
The 2020 minor league season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Snider did not pitch in an official game that year. He returned to Tennessee to train at his former high school and college facilities. In 2021, he advanced to the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, combining for a 4.48 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 66+1/3 innings across 48 appearances. After the 2021 season, on November 19, the Royals added him to their 40-man roster, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft.
Kansas City Royals Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Snider made the Royals’ 2022 Opening Day roster and quickly made an impact in his MLB debut, throwing a scoreless tenth inning to pick up his first career win and strikeout while 11 family members watched from the stands. He was briefly sent down to Triple-A Omaha in mid-June, but he returned to the Royals on August 20. Snider finished his rookie season with 42 appearances, a 4–2 record, a 6.55 ERA, and 22 strikeouts in 34+1/3 innings pitched.
In 2023, Snider began the year at Triple-A Omaha before being called up to Kansas City for the first two weeks of July, pitching in five games. He rejoined the Royals near the end of August and finished with a 4.87 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 20+1/3 innings across 30 games. On December 11, 2023, the Royals designated him for assignment to make room on the roster for reliever Will Smith. Shortly afterward, on December 18, the Arizona Diamondbacks claimed him off waivers, but he was designated for assignment again on January 30, 2024, to clear space for Joc Pederson.
Seattle Mariners Era (2024–2025)
On February 6, 2024, the Seattle Mariners claimed Snider off waivers, giving him a fresh start on the West Coast. He performed at a much higher level in Seattle, going 3–4 with a 1.94 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 41+2/3 innings. He was on the Mariners’ Opening Day roster but landed on the injured list on April 8 with a knee contusion. After his return later in April, he was optioned to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, but he was back in the majors by early June.
Snider adjusted his pitch mix in 2024, leaning more on a four-seam fastball and a sweeper instead of the sinker and slider he had featured in Kansas City, while continuing to use his cutter as a reliable third pitch. He also demonstrated elite command, throwing a first-pitch strike to 73 percent of batters faced, the second-best rate among MLB pitchers who logged at least 40 innings in 2024 and a top-10 single-season mark since at least 2002. In 2025, Snider made 24 appearances for the Mariners, going 2–1 with a 5.47 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 26+1/3 innings. After Seattle acquired Caleb Ferguson on July 30, 2025, he was designated for assignment, cleared waivers, and was sent outright to Tacoma on August 3. He elected free agency on November 6, 2025, before signing a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on December 11, 2025.
Driving Style and Strengths
Snider’s greatest strength on the mound has been his ability to generate weak contact and limit hard-hit balls. In his early career, he relied heavily on a heavy sinker praised by Vanderbilt coaches for its unusual movement. With Seattle, he modernized his approach, favoring a four-seam fastball paired with a sweeper and cutter, which helped him post a much-improved 1.94 ERA in 2024. His trademark first-pitch strike rate, which ranked near the top of MLB in 2024, also shows his outstanding command and ability to get ahead of hitters.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Snider’s career came on Opening Day of his rookie season in 2022, when he threw a scoreless tenth inning to earn his first MLB win and strikeout in front of 11 family members. He has also been widely recognized for the deep friendships he built at Vanderbilt, where he delivered a heartfelt speech at the funeral of teammate Donny Everett, who drowned in 2016. To honor Everett’s memory, Snider still wears his teammate’s initials and number stitched inside his baseball glove.
Collin Snider Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Snider married his high school sweetheart, Rachel Snider, in 2019, and the couple share a golden retriever named Jax. His parents, Jerry and Cheri Snider, raised him in an athletic household alongside his siblings Danielle, Spencer, Andrew, and Zachary, all of whom competed in sports. The family faced a serious health challenge in 2021 when his mother, Cheri, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Personal Life
Off the field, Snider remains closely connected to his Vanderbilt roots, especially the memory of his late teammate Donny Everett, who drowned in 2016. He continues to honor Everett by carrying his initials and number on his glove every time he takes the mound. Outside of baseball, Snider enjoys spending time with his wife Rachel and their dog Jax.
2025 Season Performance
Snider began the 2025 season on the Seattle Mariners’ roster but struggled at times, finishing his major league appearances with a 2–1 record and a 5.47 ERA across 24 games and 26+1/3 innings pitched. After the Mariners acquired reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 30, 2025, Snider was designated for assignment and sent outright to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers on August 3, where he remained for the rest of the season. He elected free agency on November 6, 2025, opening the door for the next chapter of his career.
Looking ahead, Snider signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs on December 11, 2025, joining a new organization as he works to return to the major leagues. The move gives him an opportunity to refine his revamped four-seam and sweeper approach in a new bullpen environment. With his track record of strong first-pitch strike rates and elite-level command, Snider will be looking to bounce back and re-establish himself as a reliable late-inning relief option for the Cubs in the seasons to come.