From Riverdale to the Major Leagues, a Visit With Kansas City Royals Pitcher Collin Snider

In this issue of Murfreesboro Makers we take a look at one of Murfreesboro’s most successful hurlers—local Riverdale High School grad Collin Snider.

He mixes a certain degree of simplicity in his personal life and his professional life. Snider is a down-to-earth, level-headed type of dude.

He has achieved considerable success in his baseball career. Whether it’s been high school, college, or the Kansas City Royals, Snider plays his relief pitching role to a T. When called on for relief he steps in and does his job, even on the Major League stage.

Over the past couple of seasons, Snider has been bouncing between the Royals and the team’s AAA-affiliate, the Omaha Storm Chasers.

Now, onto the questions. (I asked Collin 40 questions, because that is his jersey number for the Royals.)

Mr. Murfreesboro: Where were you born?
Collin Snider: I was born in Nashville and grew up in La Vergne and Murfreesboro.

Tell us about your immediate family.
Mom’s name is Cheri, Dad’s name is Jerry. My older sister is Danielle, who is married to Eric with two boys. My three younger brothers are Spencer, Andrew and Zachary. Andrew and Zachary are twins at UT.

Are you married? Any children?
I have been married since Nov. 23, 2019. An 85-pound golden retriever is our only child for now.

Tell us about your pet(s).
Jax is our 3-year-old golden retriever. We’ve both always loved dogs, but we fell in love with golden retrievers in high school after spending time with my Aunt Margie and Uncle Kyle’s three goldens. Since then we knew we wanted one of our own. In 2020, when the baseball season was canceled and Rachel was working from home, we started looking for a dog. We found Jax and knew it was meant to be.

When did you start playing baseball?
When I was 5 years old.

Did you play any other sports?
Yes, basketball and football.

Why did you choose baseball over the others?
Once I started pitching I fell in love with it.

Do you come from a family background of athleticism?
My mom played college volleyball and my dad ran track in high school so sports were always big in my family. All of my siblings played sports throughout high school as well.

Where did you go to school?
Rock Springs Elementary, Stewart’s Creek Middle School, Riverdale High School and Vanderbilt University.

Where and when did you meet Rachel Jones?
I met Rachel in 2012 (my sophomore year) in Mrs. Hensley’s Spanish class at Riverdale.

When did you know she was the one?
Once I got drafted and started living on my own I knew that I couldn’t live without her.

How are y’all doing?
We’re doing well! We are on the road eight months out of the year for the season, but I’m very thankful we get to do it all together.

When did you want to become a Major League baseball player? Did you dream about it at a young age or did it develop over time?
That was always a dream growing up, but it never really became real to me until my junior year at Vandy when I was going through the draft process. I had always just told myself I was going to play for as long as I could.

Who has inspired you over the years? Who inspires you to this day?
My parents have always played a big role in my development as a person and athlete. In 2021 my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, so watching her handle such adversity with grace and strength taught me how to handle my profession. I learned so much and became so inspired to attack each day in a different way, similar to how my family watched her beat cancer. And we are blessed to say that she is now cancer-free.

Photo by Jason Hanna/ Kansas City Royals

How do you and Rachel travel? Do you travel with the team and she follows?
This year we drove from Tennessee to Arizona for spring training in February. We stayed in an Airbnb there through the end of March. She then drove with her mom, Laura, and Jax from Arizona to meet me in the Midwest for the season. I travel about every other week for away series and she will usually stay in our apartment with Jax in Omaha or Kansas City, depending on where we are. She goes to some away series and just meets me there since I travel with the team.

What position do you play?
Relief pitcher.

What other positions have you played? If you didn’t play relief pitcher what position would you play?
I’ve always been a pitcher, but growing up I played almost every position at some point. I wouldn’t choose to switch to another position. I love pitching, and hitting is just way too hard.

What was it like playing at Riverdale High School here in Murfreesboro, Tennessee?
Playing at Riverdale was a blast. I was a part of some great teams that made it to the state tournament three years in a row. We were very fortunate to have a great baseball facility at Riverdale and I even go up there frequently in the off seasons as well.

What was it like playing at Vanderbilt University for Coach Corbin?
He’s the best coach I have ever had. There aren’t people out there like Coach Corbin. He helps form 18-year-old kids into adults, and the way that he coaches life lessons off the field is so valuable. He cares so much for each player and their development as a human, and happens to be an incredible baseball mind as well. The life lessons that I learned there have helped me along the way to being a Major League player.

Where were you when you found out you got drafted by the Kansas City Royals?
I was at my parents’ house working out in the garage when I got the phone call.

What year did you get drafted?
2017

What was the first Minor League team you played for?
The Burlington Royals (Rookie Ball) in Burlington, North Carolina.

Where did you play after that?
After Burlington, I played in Lexington, Kentucky, for the Legends (low A), then Wilmington, Delaware, for the Blue Rocks (high A), then in Springdale, Arkansas, for the Naturals (AA), then in Omaha, Nebraska, for the Storm Chasers (AAA).

When did you get called up?
I made the Kansas City Royals Opening Day roster in 2022.

How old were you?
I was 26 years old.

Where were you when you got called up?
I was at a game in Spring Training of 2022. I had just pitched and was sitting in the dugout. Mike Matheny, our manager at the time came and sat next to me and told me I had made the Opening Day roster for the 2022 season.

How long was it before you got your first appearance?
I pitched in the second game of opening weekend.

Who were y’all playing?
The Cleveland Guardians

Was it a home or away game?
It was the opening series at home.

Who all was there to watch you play your first game?
My wife Rachel, my parents Jerry and Cheri, my brothers Spencer, Andrew and Zachary, my sister Danielle and my nephews Rhett and Bryce, and my mother-in-law, Laura.

When was your first win?
My debut was my first win. I pitched in the 10th inning in a tied game. After I came out, Adalberto Mondesi had a walk-off hit, giving me my first win.

Do you have any superstitions before game day?
I don’t have any superstitions anymore. I try to stay very loose and relaxed before each game. Some days I’ll play cards or throw around a football or Frisbee in the outfield when we stretch and play catch.

Have you been in any baseball brawls?
No.

Besides Kansas City’s Kauffman Park, what is your favorite baseball park to pitch or play in?
Fenway Park was probably my favorite. The atmosphere there is very unique and there’s always a big crowd that stays involved with the game. The stadium has so much history as well that it’s hard not to be in awe of that place.

Growing up who was your favorite baseball team?
Atlanta Braves

What is your biggest accomplishment so far in life?
My biggest career accomplishment is making it to the Major Leagues, but I don’t like to make my whole life career-based. I don’t want to be defined by only baseball. So I would say my biggest life accomplishment is having married my best friend, and we have a great relationship. We are blessed in many ways and get to experience a unique lifestyle together.

What is your biggest regret or something you wished never happened?
There isn’t anything that I can think of. I have no regrets, and I believe that everything happens for a reason as a part of a bigger plan.

How many years have you been playing baseball?
22 years, 6 as a professional.

Do you and Rachel plan on starting a family?
Yes!

What are you most thankful for?
My family. Without their support my whole life, I never would’ve had the opportunity to have my dreams of being a Major League player come true.