The Atlanta Braves’ starting pitcher, Chris Sale, just locked down the National League’s 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award from Sporting News. After years of being off the radar thanks to injuries, surgeries, and even a bike accident, the eight-time all-star returned with a vengeance, showing everyone he’s still got it.
The numbers are where this story goes from good to great. Sale posted an 18-3 record with a dynamic 2.38 ERA. He also racked up 225 strikeouts over 29 starts. And if you’re into baseball history, here’s a treat. He grabbed the first National League pitching Triple Crown since Clayton Kershaw in 2011. That means he led the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. That’s pretty much the holy trinity for a pitcher.
Sale also topped the National League in ERA+ (a staggering 174), FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) at 2.09, and kept the ball in the park with a league-best 0.5 home runs per nine innings. Strikeouts per nine innings? Oh, he was mowing them down at an 11.4 clip. Plus, with a WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) of just 1.01, he was about as close to untouchable as you can get.
The irony here is that his season was cut short by back spasms. So we didn’t even get the full show. But when you’ve only managed 11 starts between 2020 and 2022 because of surgeries and that wild bike accident, even a shortened season like this feels like a triumph. It’s almost like Chris Sale wanted to remind everyone exactly the kind of pitcher he is. However, it is tough to forget a talent like that considering his past seasons.
In the first nine years of his career, he was lights out, putting up a 2.89 ERA and racking up nearly 1,800 strikeouts over 1,482 innings. Seven consecutive all-star appearances, Cy Young votes every year—this guy was on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory. But then came the rough patch: a 4.16 ERA over 56 starts from 2019 to 2022. Still respectable, but not the ace-caliber stuff we were used to seeing.
This season with the Braves wasn’t just about winning games for Chris Sale. It was about proving he could still be that dominant force on the mound. Delivering on all fronts, he officially secured the Comeback Player award from Sporting News. He’s also a finalist for the Players Choice Awards’ version of the same title. Don’t be surprised if his name also pops up for the National League Cy Young Award. Sale is even up for the Gold Glove Award, it’s been that kind of year.
Chris Sale’s story isn’t just about a comeback. It’s a story about resilience, redemption, and reminding everyone why he’s one of the best to ever do it. This is the kind of story that makes the sport so great.
