When Alex Anthopoulos signed Chris Sale this summer, some Braves fans were hesitant to get on board. Most of this was due to his injury history, but even the most pessimistic supporters recognized what a potential weapon he could be if healthy by October. However, I’m not sure even the most bullish about the acquisition saw this coming.
Chris Sale is more than just a compliment to Max Fried, Spencer Strider, and Charlie Morton. He has been by far the finest pitcher among them all. Last night, he took the mound in a Braves uniform for the ninth time, going seven scoreless innings against the Padres, who never troubled him. Chris Sale now has 20 consecutive scoreless innings. Over his previous five starts, he has a 0.56 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 32 innings.
The Braves have been mired in a slump of sorts for the last month, but every five days, Chris Sale has come out and helped the team to a much-needed win. He’s become the prototypical “stopper” for the club, something they’ve desperately needed over this stretch.
On the season, Sale’s ERA is down to 2.22 to go along with a FIP of 2.23, xFIP of 2.40, xERA of 2.50, and 0.865 WHIP. He’s struck out 70 batters in 56.2 innings, good for a 31.7% strikeout rate, the highest mark of his career since his last healthy season back in 2019. Sale’s 3.6% walk rate is also the lowest mark of his career.
Arguments can be made over whether Chris Sale will be able to stay healthy throughout the season. He hasn’t been allowed to say that in five years, but the stuff is undeniably true. It’s still as nasty as ever, and if he gets his full number of starts, there’s no reason he can’t win his first Cy Young award. From 2012 to 2018, Sale appeared in seven consecutive All-Star games. During that span, he never finished outside of the top six in the AL Cy Young contest. He now has the greatest K/9 rate in MLB history and has the opportunity to become only the 20th pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts in his career.
If Braves fans didn’t understand the potential upside they were getting in Chris Sale a few months ago, they are well aware now. When healthy, he is one of the most dominant strikeout artists the game has ever seen.
Sale said on several occasions leading up to the season this is the first fully healthy offseason he’s had in five years. If anybody was doubting him, they surely are not anymore.
