Chris Sale proved his case for the Hall of Fame with a third-place finish in the National League Cy Young voting. The veteran lefty secured this spot on Wednesday night, adding another major award to his resume. Per MLB.com Braves, Sale received 11 second-place votes, 16 third-place votes, and three fourth-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. This result marks his fourth top-three finish and cements his status as an elite pitcher in the modern game.
The numbers back up the high praise he received from voters. Sale ranked second in the league with a 2.16 ERA and posted a 0.98 WHIP. He also struck out 200 batters, a feat he reached against the final batter of the regular-season finale against the Reds. Battery Power noted that Sale could have plausibly finished first if he had pitched more innings at this same production level. His health has been the key factor in this late-career renaissance, especially compared to his struggle-filled years in Boston.
A Historic Strikeout Club
Sale now joins a very exclusive group of pitchers in MLB history. He became one of only two left-handed pitchers to record nine seasons with 200 or more strikeouts. His idol Randy Johnson is the other lefty to achieve this rare feat. The only pitchers with more 200-strikeout seasons are Nolan Ryan with 15, Roger Clemens with 12, and Tom Seaver with 10. This consistency over a long career separates true legends from good pitchers who just have a few good years.
The Braves got a massive boost from his performance after a rough start to the season. Against the Angels, Sale gave up six runs across more than four innings during his third outing on April 12, which proved difficult for him. Following that, he generated a 1.96 ERA across the subsequent 24 starts. A five-hit shutout against the Dodgers on Aug. 27 marked his best performance, as he struck out 11 batters. He maintained a 70.4% quality start rate over 27 starts, which was only bested by Yoshinobu Yamamoto among pitchers with 20 starts or more.
The Case for More Innings
While Sale finished third, the debate about his workload remains a valid point of discussion. Jacob Misiorowski won the award as a unanimous selection, and Cristopher Sánchez took second place. Sánchez topped the Majors with 22 quality starts among his 33 total appearances. Sale had 19 quality starts over 27 starts. The difference in total innings pitched likely cost Sale the top spot despite his superior strikeout numbers and lower ERA. More innings at this level would have almost certainly pushed him past the phenom from Milwaukee.
Raisel Iglesias also made noise in the award race, finishing fifth in NL Reliever of the Year voting. Didier Fuentes and Dylan Lee received votes as well for their bullpen contributions. Chris Martin, a Braves’ legend and reliever, announced his retirement from baseball around the same time. Sale’s ability to dominate while staying healthy is the story that will define his final years. Since 2012, he has ranked in the top six on nine occasions. That consistency is the mark of a true all-time great.
