ATLANTA — Chris Sale completed among the many prime six in American League Cy Younger Award balloting over seven straight seasons (2012-18). Six years, many accidents and a transfer to the Nationwide League later, the rejuvenated Braves pitcher might lastly expertise the fun of successful this coveted trophy.
Sale, the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler and the Pirates’ Paul Skenes are the finalists for this 12 months’s NL Cy Younger Award. The winner will likely be introduced on MLB Community on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. ET.
A Braves pitcher captured six of the NL Cy Younger Awards introduced from 1991-98. However the crew hasn’t had a winner since Tom Glavine in 1998.
With Sale, Atlanta has its strongest candidate in additional than 20 years. The 35-year-old left-hander received the NL Triple Crown by main the league in wins (18), ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (225). He was the primary NL pitcher to guide in every of those classes since Clayton Kershaw in 2011.
Sale additionally completed three strikeouts behind the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal’s MLB-leading whole. Had he handed Skubal whereas persevering with to guide the Majors in ERA, he would have turn out to be MLB’s first Triple Crown winner since Johan Santana led the Majors in all three main classes in 2006.
The Braves lefty additionally ranked first amongst MLB pitchers with a 6.4 fWAR (FanGraphs’ Wins Above Substitute mannequin), a 32.1 p.c strikeout price and a 2.09 FIP (Fielding Impartial Pitching).
Sadly, again discomfort sidelined Sale through the common season’s closing week and thru the Braves’ NL Wild Card Sequence in opposition to the Padres. This was definitely not a becoming ending for the lanky southpaw who spent almost six full months quieting these critics who had given up on him.
Sale totaled simply 151 innings for the Pink Sox from 2020-23. This stretch included Tommy John surgical procedure, a rib fracture, a pinkie fracture, a wrist fracture and a stress fracture in his left shoulder.
Nonetheless, the Braves have been prepared to take an opportunity on him getting wholesome and regaining the shape he had when he produced a 2.91 ERA over 208 appearances (207 begins) from 2012-18. They acquired him and $17 million from the Pink Sox in alternate for utility infielder Vaughn Grissom final winter.
Sale took benefit of the Braves’ try to present him and every of their starters not less than one additional day of relaxation at any time when doable. He posted a 2.12 ERA by way of his first 10 begins, allowed eight earned runs over 4 innings in opposition to the A’s on June 1 after which posted a 1.96 ERA over his closing 18 begins of the season.
Two of Sale’s three losses have been of the tough-luck selection. He allowed two runs and struck out 10 over seven innings in a 2-1 loss to the Nationals on June 7. However the extra irritating outcome might have come on June 27, when he struck out 11 and allowed only one run in a 1-0 loss to the White Sox.
Sale completed second behind Corey Kluber in balloting for the 2017 AL Cy Younger Award and third behind Kluber and Félix Hernández in 2014. These stand as his prime finishes to this point.
