Rays pitcher Blake Snell wins inaugural MLB The Show Players League championship

Blake Snell was a virtual lock to win the MLB Players League championship. And on Sunday, he did just that.

The Rays lefty and 2018 American League Cy Young Award winner captured the inaugural MLB The Show Players League championship, sweeping Lucas Giolito of the White Sox with three straight victories to claim the best-of-five virtual World Series.

The league featured members of each major league franchise representing their team in a 29-game season utilizing Sony's MLB The Show 20 video game.

With real baseball on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, the three-week tournament provided fans with an entertaining diversion during a difficult time and offered the opportunity to see the players in a different setting than the grind of the major league season.

Snell's victory means $30,000 will be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast.

The Mets were represented by Jeff McNeil, who posted a 21-8 record, tied for third-best in the contest with the Blue Jays' Bo Bichette. With eight participants making the postseason, McNeil swept Orioles representative Dwight Smith Jr., 2-0, in the best-of-three quarterfinals before falling to Snell, 2-1, in the best-of-three semifinals.

Tommy Kahnle represented the Yankees and went 18-11, missing the playoffs by one game.

Fans watched the players' three-inning games through streaming platforms in addition to ESPN, ESPN2, MLB Network and FS1.

“They showed their competitiveness and at the end of the day, that’s what the fans love to see,” said Commissioner Rob Manfred. “Emotion and competitiveness really go a long way and it made the programming very good.

“[The Players League] gave our fans an opportunity to interact with the game we all love in the absence of live play on the field,” he added. “We hope in a small way, it helped fill a void in their lives.”