Chris Sale’s 2024 season wasn’t just impressive; it was historic. The Atlanta Braves ace put together a campaign for the ages. He captured the National League pitching triple crown with 18 wins, a 2.38 ERA, and a jaw-dropping 225 strikeouts.
It’s a feat we haven’t seen in over a decade. The advanced metrics make it clear this wasn’t just a statistical anomaly. Sale led the league in fWAR, FIP, and K/9, underscoring his dominance in every facet of pitching.
Despite Sale’s runaway numbers, the National League featured a wealth of elite arms in 2024. Zack Wheeler, anchoring the Philadelphia Phillies’ rotation, was a formidable rival. He delivered ace-level performances that might have won him the award in almost any other year.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Paul Skenes burst onto the scene with a remarkable 1.96 ERA in 23 starts. This makes him one of the brightest young talents in baseball. Either Wheeler or Skenes would likely be the heavy favorite in a season without Sale’s once-in-a-generation performance.
Still, Sale’s brilliance wasn’t just about the stats but about timing and consistency. Every time the Braves needed him, he delivered. Often against top-tier competition, he helped propel Atlanta to another playoff run despite team injuries. Sale wasn’t merely a great pitcher—he was the best version of himself, a terrifying thought for hitters who already struggled against his previous All-Star incarnations.
Even Paul Skenes, a leading contender himself, believes Chris Sale deserves to win the NL Cy Young
Interestingly, even Paul Skenes himself has weighed in, publicly endorsing Sale for the NL Cy Young. Skenes’ acknowledgment is a rare gesture in the hyper-competitive world of professional sports. His statement won’t sway voters—the ballots are long submitted—but it underscores the universal recognition of Sale’s dominance.
With the Cy Young announcement looming at 6 PM EST today, the biggest question isn’t whether Chris Sale will win. It’s whether the voting will be unanimous. While the BBWAA isn’t immune to factionalism, and the performances of Wheeler, Skenes, Dylan Cease, and Cristopher Sanchez were extraordinary in their own right, Sale’s season was on an entirely different plane.
If Sale does take home his first Cy Young after six top-five finishes, it will cement a career defined by sustained excellence and punctuated by one of the most dominant pitching seasons in recent memory. For fans and analysts alike, the only debate left is how his Braves 2024 campaign stacks up in the pantheon of great pitching seasons.
