Just over a month ago, baseball fans witnessed one of the most dominant left-handed pitchers of his generation get enshrined in Cooperstown in the form of one C.C. Sabathia. On Friday night, another dominant lefty of the current generation reminded us all why his Hall of Fame case is so unique and why the Atlanta Braves are a much better team when he is healthy.
Braves ace Chris Sale returned from the 60-day injured list a week ago, and he is pitching like he hasn't missed a beat. However, with each dominant start Sale gives fans his Hall of Fame case only grows more complex.
Chris Sale's 2Ks in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/Y1cCFDc1W4
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 6, 2025
Chris Sale is on track to be a Hall of Famer, but he really needs a couple more years of good fortune with his health
Sale has basically always been elite when he's been on the mound. The biggest problem is that Sale remaining healthy and on the mound hasn't always been the case. Because of that some of the important counting stats that BBWAA voters prioritize may not be attainable for Sale. Sadly, Sale will never approach the win totals and innings pitched mark that so many Hall of Fame pitchers surpassed in their careers. Of course, those numbers were a relic of the eras they pitched in, so hopefully Sale's per inning dominance will be enough to earn him the nod.
Thankfully, Sale has been so incredible at striking out hitters that the 3,000 strikeout club is reachable with a few couple more healthy, dominant years. Sale currently sits at 2,546 strikeouts for his career, and has a K/9 of 11.6 this season. If Sale were to average a K/9 of 10 and pitch at least 130 innings over the next three seasons, he would eclipse 3,000 Ks.
For reference, C.C. Sabathia finished his career with six All-Star selections, one World Series ring, one Cy Young award, 3.74 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 3,093 Ks, and 62.3 bWAR. Sale currently has nine All-Star selections, one World Series ring, one Cy Young award, one Triple Crown, one Gold Glove, 3.01 ERA, 2.88 FIP, and 56.7 bWAR. The per inning numbers certainly favor Sale, but voters will be torn until he accumulates a few more of the counting stat numbers.
The amazing news is Sale appears more than capable of stringing the dominant final seasons he needs to make his HOF case less of a question for voters. For a career filled with strange injuries, the fact that Sale has put himself in this conversation is a testament to his incredible work. Sale's amazing career turnaround with the Braves could be the final leg of a Hall of Fame career...if he can just toe the rubber more often during the final years of his career.