Left-handed starting pitcher, Chris Sale, appears to be very comfortable with his new Major League Baseball home.
Sale, who turned 35 March 30, is once again pitching like an All Star for the Atlanta Braves.
The Boston Red Sox traded Sale, along with cash to the Braves on December 23, 2023, for infielder Vaughn Grissom.
The way he is pitching, the Red Sox likely wish they had Sale back in their
About Chris Sale:
Chris Sale was a 21st round draft pick of the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.
Sale didn’t sign with the Rockies, instead electing to attend Florida Gulf Coast University, in Fort Myers, Florida.
Coming out of Lakeland High School in Florida, Sale did not attract much attention from Florida’s major college baseball programs, so he went to Florida Gulf Coast.
Working out of the bullpen for Florida Gulf Coast, Sale improved his pitching mechanics by lowering his arm slot, and went on to excel in the summer Cape Cod League.
Scouts liked what they saw of Sale, and he signed with the Chicago White Sox as their top selection in the 2010 MLB draft
Sale was the 13th player chosen in the draft.
Sale may have gone higher than 13th, but teams were fearful of Sale’s asking price. He signed with the White Sox for the exact MLB recommendation for that slot, which was $1.656 million.
At the time of the draft, Sale was rated as a pitcher with a Grade 70 fastball, which was indicative of the amazing, late moving life he had on his 93-miles per hour pitch as a starting pitcher.
Sale was able to ramp up his fastball to 96-miles per hour when he worked out of the bullpen, and his repertoire and pitch count were more limited.
Sale was known to throw his fastball, a slider, and a changeup at the time of the draft. Each was a pitch at a Scouting Grade-60 level, or above.
At the age of 21, Sale made his big league debut, pitching out of the White Sox bullpen.
Sale did not start for the White Sox until 2012, when he made 29 starts, pitched to a 3.05 ERA in 192 innings, and made the American League All Star Team.
Sale made seven consecutive All Star Teams, from 2012-2018.
Sale was consistently throwing 96 miles per hour with Chicago.
Despite his success, the White Sox traded Sale to the Boston Red Sox in December 2016, for reliever Victor Diaz, outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe, pitcher Michael Kopech, and third baseman, Yoan Moncada.
Kopech is still with the White Sox, working as the team’s closer.
Moncada is still with the White Sox, but he is on their Injured List.
Sale remained with the Red Sox for parts of six seasons, before the trade to Atlanta this past December.
Facts About Chris Sale:
Sale has suffered a number of career interrupting injuries, as noted by apnews.com.
Sale’s last full season on the mound was 2019, when he made 25 starts with the Red Sox.
A torn ulnar collateral ligament kept Sale out of the pandemic shortened 2020 season, and most of the 2021 season.
A right rib stress factor, and a fractured left pinkie finger in his second start back, caused more injury time in 2022.
Sale has also had to recover from a broken right wrist that occurred in August 2022.
There has always been a great deal of pressure on Sale.
Always looked upon as a masterful lefty, it seemed the expectations were always high with the White Sox and Red Sox.
In his younger days, Sale was often compared to Randy Johnson, a tall, thin lefty with a blazing fastball, high strikeout rates, and ability to pitch a no-hitter every time he took the mound.
In fact, Johnson did throw two no-hitters in his 22-year-career.
Sale has not yet thrown a no-hitter.
That doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
Sale is pitching in the middle of a Braves rotation that features lefty Max Fried, right-hander Reynaldo Lopez, Sale, veteran righty Charlie Morton, and young right-hander Bryce Elder.
Star right-hander, Spencer Strider, 25, is on the Injured List while recovering from elbow surgery.
Fangraphs.com lists Sale’s average fastball at 93.6 miles per hour. He is using the pitch 52% of the time.
Sale is using his 79 miles per hour slider as his primary secondary pitch. He throws that pitch 29% of the time.
A third pitch, his slider, is used for 18% of his pitches. He throws that pitch 85 miles per hour, and the pitch can put away hitters.
Throughout his career, Sale has averaged striking out between 10-12 hitters per nine innings pitched. He has walked less than two hitters, on average, per nine innings.
Chris Sale is enjoying new life with the Braves.
After his latest start May 20, a 7-0 shutout win against the San Diego Padres, Sale has compiled an outstanding 2024 record with the Braves. He has a sparkling 7-1 record, with a 2.22 ERA, and 0.86 WHIP in 9 starts, covering 56.2 innings.
Sale has struck out 70, while walking only 8 hitters.
If Sale keeps this pace, stays healthy, and takes the ball on a team that scores runs with the efficiency of the Atlanta Braves, we will see Chris Sale pitching for the National League in the 2024 All Star Game in Arlington, Texas.
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