Chris Sale, a ‘manager’s dream,’ helps start Braves’ 2026 season in style

Timing sometimes matters most in life. And perfect timing led to Chris Sale’s union with the Braves. It’s resulted in one of the best stories in franchise history - and one that’s only bettering with age.

Chris Sale blanked the Royals across six innings on opening day in the Braves’ 6-0 win. The southpaw navigated some early baserunners to conclude his debut in dominant fashion by retiring 10 of the final 11 hitters he faced.

“It was really special,” Sale said. “Talk about just a spike of adrenaline there. I don’t know the last time we had an opening day here (2022), but this was certainly my first time. Just being able to do that in front of our fans. I had a lot of family here as well. … It was important to get off on the right foot and set the tone early.”

Sale, who has a 2.46 ERA over the past two seasons since joining the Braves, will be heavily relied upon due to an unsteady rotation around him. He dismisses the idea of any additional pressure, citing the reality that each individual must perform regardless of what’s happening around him.

But what an encouraging start for a team that needs him to be Cy Young caliber.

Kansas City missed its chances to damage Sale early. He’d issued three walks and hit a batter over his first three frames. The Royals had a baserunner reach scoring position in each inning. Yet Sale persevered. He induced two double plays. He never wavered, at times overpowering a lineup many expect to power Kansas City to postseason contention.

Sale, 37, passed the eye test even while fending off threats. His fastball averaged 96 mph and even topped at 98 in his last inning. The fastball drew nine called strikes and five whiffs on 22 swings. The slider generated three whiffs on 11 swings. Sale’s stuff looked crisp, as it had in spring training.

“Such a special guy on the mound tonight,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “This is just a special guy. I’ve talked about him a lot this spring, but it’s a manager’s dream to have a guy like that on opening night to set the tone.”

This is what the Braves expect. If everyone had at least one person who believes and invests in them, as the Braves have with Sale, we’d all be doing quite all right.

The Braves have doubled down on Sale every chance they’ve had. When he arrived via trade in December 2023, Sale was considered damaged goods. He’d thrown just 151 innings over four years for Boston. The Red Sox absorbed part of his contract in the deal, which essentially meant they were discarding him. Once one of baseball’s finest pitchers, his best days were seemingly behind him.

But the Braves believed. They trusted he was past his ailments and had more to offer. They even extended his contract when they had no need. They hadn’t even seen him throw a pitch in their uniform.

Sale rewarded them by winning his first Cy Young award – he’d had numerous other top-six finishes – and reemerging as one of baseball’s rarest commodities, a bona fide No. 1 starter.

“In all the years I’ve seen, I think (Sale) is one of the best pitchers,” second baseman Ozzie Albies told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Sale was brilliant again in 2025, too, before and after he missed two months due to a fractured ribcage. Sale hadn’t slowed a bit, looking like his prime self despite piles of injuries and the reality that few in their late 30s maintain high-level performance.

Cue the Braves doubling down again. A week after fielding questions about his future and expiring contract, Sale signed another extension. He’ll make $27 million next season, which will be the largest one-year payment in franchise history.

President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos acknowledged the significance of that fact, saying there’s no one more deserving of that honor than Sale.

The lefty gushes whenever presented the chance to talk about his employer. He always says he’ll never forget the team’s belief in him after his career seemed to be fizzling out. And he intends to give them a whole lot more.

“It means a lot (to be a Brave),” Sale said. “That’s why it was important to me to stay here. I’ve said it before, I’d like to end my career here. I really enjoy what this place is about. The family aspect, the competition aspect, the fan base. I’m closer to home, I live down in Southwest Florida so it’s an easy flight for my family to get up here. My family, we roll deep, so we’re around each other a lot, and it makes it easier to be around.

“Being here in ’24 was my first taste of it, seeing how passionate the fan base was, how great of a family environment this was. Then you get inside that clubhouse, I said it two or three weeks into my first spring training here, it was an easy clubhouse to walk into and mesh. The culture is great. There are just so many green flags here that it’s a great place to be. I want to be here as long as I’m playing baseball.”

The Braves have every reason to feel giddy about their latest Sale investment. What a welcome opening day for a team that dropped its first seven contests a year ago. This time, the Braves looked like their expected selves. They were mashing the ball, backing up their good pitching with some defensive gems, and doing it all in front of nearly 40,000 fans.

And it started with their ace, a true tone setter who’s becoming an all-time great Brave in the twilight of his career.

It was a historic day for Sale, too. He has 2,585 career strikeouts, passing Bob Feller and Braves legend and Hall of Famer Warren Spahn for No. 30 on the all-time list. Up next for Sale is another iconic Brave, Tom Glavine (2,607), as he continues his path to the Hall of Fame.