After winning the NL Cy Young award in 2024, Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale put himself firmly in the discussion as a future Hall of Famer. He already had a reasonably robust case, but a lot of voters need to see big-time counting stats and tangible achievements, and a Cy Young trophy had eluded Sale up until that point. Once he won, he had checked all the boxes he really needed to, although continuing to ascend the various all-time rankings can't hurt his cause.
Not only was Sale's first start of the season one that secured the Braves' first win of the 2026 season, but it also saw him make it into the top 30 career strikeout rankings by passing Bob Feller and Warren Spahn. If you are passing guys like that on almost any all-time list, it is a pretty big deal.
However, what is perhaps more interesting is that the next name up for Sale to pass, at just 22 strikeouts away, as the Braves prepare for their rubber game against the A's, is Atlanta legend, Tom Glavine.
Chris Sale's ascendance up all-time strikeout rankings has Braves ace putting finishing touches on Hall of Fame career
While catching Glavine on Wednesday would require a herculean effort, Sale should be able to make some real progress. The A's are running out a lot of righties against Sale and are sitting Nick Kurtz, but their best righty hitters are also vulnerable in terms of swing and miss, including Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom, and Brent Rooker. If Sale does Sale things, the gap should be significantly smaller by the end of the game.
Unless Sale gets hurt (knocking on wood, I promise), overtaking Glavine is a given this season for No. 29 overall. After that, he should be able to easily pass Chuck Finley (2610 strikeouts), and David Cone (2,668) should be up next later in the season. There may be a lull after that, as Frank Tanana at 2,773 career strikeouts is a good ways away. If Sale manages that, he could pass Cy Young for 25th all-time, which should lock in his spot in Cooperstown, if it isn't locked in already.
During the early portions of the season, when teams are just getting their feet under them, and fan interest is relatively low, it is fun to track history like Sale is set to make. No, he isn't going to end up in the top five all-time in strikeouts when the dust settles because, well, that would require him to strike out over 1,000 more batters. However, that doesn't mean the progress Sale makes is insignificant and could have big-time ramifications for his legacy once his career eventually ends.