Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale has once again put himself in the conversation for the NL Cy Young. Through 117 innings, the lefty has a 2.08 ERA and 2.48 FIP, which, if the season ended today, would rival his 2024 Cy Young season. With the rest of the Braves starting rotation struggling, Sale has been the one constant for Atlanta as they have to quickly assess the state of their pitching before the trade deadline.
It's easy to take what Sale has done in a Braves uniform for granted, but what Sale is doing on the mound in his age-37 is nearly unprecedented, as he's not only limiting runs to a historic level, but also throwing harder than he ever has.
Chris Sale 98 MPH+ pitches by season:
— Min Sub (Mitchell) (@MinSub4) July 30, 2026
2018 - 172
2015 - 133
2026 - 103
2010 - 83
2011 - 59
2017 - 42
2014 -20
2025 -19
2024 -18
2016 -17
2023 - 7
2013 - 6
2021 - 4
2019 -2
Chris Sale has thrown 2.7 times more 98 MPH+ pitches this year than he did in his first two seasons with… https://t.co/zxlOBRyTyE
Chris Sale is suddenly pumping heat at a rate he never has before
At this point, there is little doubt that when Sale retires, he will be enshrined in Cooperstown. However, at 37 years old, most pitchers, no matter how dominant they were in their prime, would be experiencing some sort of age-related decline.
Sale, however, is only getting better. If the season ended today, his 2.08 ERA would be the lowest ERA he's had in his career as a starter. It would best his 2018, where he had a 2.11 ERA in 27 starts. It would also be the 11th-lowest ERA by a pitcher age-37 or older in the Live-Ball Era with at least 100 innings. If Sale hit the 162 inning threshold to be a qualified pitcher while maintaining his 2.08 ERA, it would only be bested by Justin Verlander's 2022 Cy Young season and Roger Clemens 2005 season in his age-42 season.
What's even more exceptional is how hard Sale is throwing. Coming into this season, his fastest average fastball velocity as a starting pitcher came in 2015 with the White Sox, when his four-seamer averaged 95.5. Sale averaged 96.3 MPH in his debut season in 2010 in 23.1 innings, and 95.9 MPH in his first full season as a reliever in 2011.
This year, Sale has averaged 96.2 MPH on his four-seamer, which is the fastest he's ever averaged as a starter. This season he's thrown 103 pitches 98 MPH or faster, which is the most he's thrown since he threw 172 98 MPH+ pitches in 2018. He only threw 18 98 MPH+ pitches in 2024, and 19 in 2025.
Sale has thrown 2.7 times more 98 MPH+ pitches this year than he did in his first two seasons with the Braves combined. Sale is one of just four pitchers who are at least 37 years old this year to even throw a 98 MPH fastball, with Jacob deGrom, Aroldis Chapman, and Luis Garcia being the other three.
Although Sale might not come away with this year's NL Cy Young, thanks to Jacob Misiorowski's absurd dominance, he has no doubt been one of the best pitchers in MLB this year, and it is absolutely mind boggling how he seems like he's only getting better.
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