The Atlanta Braves got to witness their newest member of the starting rotation in action during Tuesday's Spring Training matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Chris Sale took the ball looking to get in shape for the 2024 regular season. From what we saw, he may not have far to go.
Sale worked exactly two innings in which he did not allow a run or a hit. In typical Chris Sale fashion, he fanned four of the six outs he recorded including striking out the side in his second frame.
Chris Sale’s line in his Braves (spring) debut: 2.0 IP, 4K
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) February 27, 2024
Sale threw 25 pitches, and 16 were strikes. He struck out the side in the second inning. In that second inning, his fastball hit 97 mph and 95 mph.
He looked very good.
The first four batters Sale faced were no easy task either. Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Ke'bryan Hayes and Yasmani Grandal were all retired by Sale. The hard throwing lefty proved he still has some velocity by pumping 95-97 mph and displayed immaculate control by placing 16 of his 25 pitches in the strike zone.
Now of course we cannot predict that Chris Sale is going to win the National League Cy Young award based off of two innings of work against the Pirates in Spring Training. However, this impressive performance should allow fans to believe Sale when he claims he is fully healthy and ready to go.
As the season progresses something to keep an eye will be if Sale can sustain this type of success for a long period of time after spending so much time on the injured list in recent years. With him joining an already stellar rotation, he may have some pressure taken off his shoulders that will allow him to pitch freely and confidentley.
Chris Sale, 96 mph Fastball with 18 inches of run (home plate view). 🔥 Via @mlb. pic.twitter.com/vOPq0liJe6
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 27, 2024
It is not very likely that the Braves have acquired 2011 Chris Sale. At his age and injuries he has faced, performing at the level he did a decade ago is completely unrealistic. Which is why we flirted the idea of a six-man rotation to start the season. His numbers may be better than a lot of people anticipate this season thanks to the combination of facing less pressure and having the best offense in Major League Baseball to provide run support.