Chris Sale endured his share of ups and downs over the past few years with the Boston Red Sox. However, his first season with the Atlanta Braves has been a success so far.
Sale was elected to the MLB All-Star Game as a result of his stellar first-half. The Braves hurler will not pitch in the game, though, since he is scheduled to pitch for the Braves on Sunday. It was announced on Saturday that Sale will be replaced by Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Still, it has been a tremendous season for Sale. Sale has pitched to a 2.74 ERA across 105 innings of work. He's also recorded 136 strikeouts.
“Yeah, it is special,” Sale said of making his first All-Star team since 2018, via FOX Sports. “I just appreciate it, you know. There are times where you think that something like this might not happen again. But to be able to do it, you know, with a new team that put a lot of faith and trust into me… I'm appreciative of it. I'm excited to take my family there and enjoy this one.”
Chris Sale's performance
Sale leads MLB in wins with 12 to go along with his 2.74 ERA. It has been a tremendous bounce-back campaign for Sale, who has been limited by injuries in recent seasons. He was excellent for the Chicago White Sox to begin his career and pitched well after initially joining the Red Sox. Again, though, the injures limited him and he did not always look like his ace-caliber self on the mound as a result.
Sale has clearly turned a corner with the Braves, though. He looks like a potential National League Cy Young candidate. The Braves will need Sale to continue to perform at a high level moving forward.
Atlanta has dominated the NL East in previous years, but the Phillies have taken a step forward in 2024. Winning the division will be difficult but the Braves are still confident.
Braves confident in roster despite current standings
Atlanta should at least be able to earn an NL Wild Card spot. At the moment, however, they trail the Phillies by nine games in the NL East. Philadelphia has been nothing short of excellent up to this point in 2024.
“Just to grind,” Sale said of what the Braves need to do to compete for a championship. “Staying through it, staying on par. Just competing. At the end of the day it's… Put everything you got out there on the field at all times. Part of it is getting hot at the right time, too. You're gonna hit a part of the season where you don't play well. You're gonna hit a part of the season where you just feel like you're never gonna lose again. Just maintaining the competitiveness and staying together.”
The Braves are always a dangerous playoff team. As long as they get into the postseason, anything can happen. If Chris Sale continues to pitch at an All-Star level, Atlanta will be especially intriguing this October.
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