Chris Sale is Enjoying a Fantastic Comeback Season

From 2012 through the 2018 seasons, Chris Sale established himself as one of the best starting pitchers in baseball, first with the Chicago White Sox and later with the Boston Red Sox. He won 17 games three times during that stretch, and had two seasons when he was 12-4 with ERAs of 2.17 and 2.11. But then in 2019, he struggled to a 6-11 record with a 4.40 ERA while battling injuries. He missed the entire Covid shortened 2020 season, due to Tommy John surgery, and made only 31 appearances over the next three years, including 20 in 2023 when he was 6-5 with a 4.30 ERA for the Red Sox. Sale was traded to the Atlanta Braves last December, who took a big financial risk by signing the soon to be 35 year old to a two year $38 million contract extension with an $18 million club option for 2026.

The gamble is paying off. On July 9th, Sale pitched 5 1/3 innings of two run, nine strikeout ball as the Braves defeated the Diamondbacks in Arizona 6-2. Sale’s record improved to 12-3 with a 2.74 ERA and 136 strikeouts. His 12 wins are the most in the majors. He’s well on his way to a career high in victories, if the injury bug stays away from him. Sale earned a slot in the All Star Game for the eighth time in his career, though his next start is scheduled for July 14th in San Diego, meaning he’ll be a spectator for the game on July 16th .