NORTH PORT, Fla. — Chris Sale hasn’t yet started a meaningful game in a Braves jersey, but that tomahawk across his chest sure looks snug.
“There’s no real secrets, even from the outside looking in,” Sale said of the Braves. “You can look at this ballclub, hear guys in interviews and watch them play on the field, and get a sense of what this was here. Obviously, it’s a lot more enjoyable being inside and really experiencing that. This has been a really seamless transition, and I’m really thankful for where I’m at. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Much has been made of Sale’s attitude. How he’ll improve a clubhouse that’s already among the finest. But what ultimately matters is performance. In a small sample, there are reasons to be encouraged that Sale could be a tremendous addition to a rotation that already includes frontline starters Max Fried and Spencer Strider.
Sale had his third exhibition outing Saturday in a 10-3 loss to the Orioles. He pitched a 1-2-3 first inning, retiring established major leaguers Ryan McKenna, (All-Star) Adley Rutschman and Ramon Urias.
The second inning was a bit more eventful. Sale walked Jordan Westburg, and Jorge Mateo’s soft fly ball dropped in shallow right field for a single. Sale recorded an out before Coby Mayo put a ball softly down the first-base line that scored two; the first runs scored against Sale this spring.
Sale balked, then surrendered yet another soft single, this one landing in center to score the third run. He settled in after that sequence, inducing a double play and recording a perfect third frame against the same hitters he retired in the first. He exited after surrendering a two-out single in the fourth.
Overall, Sale went 3-2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits. He struck out two and walked one. His velocity hovered in the mid-90s. It was generally encouraging, especially with some of the whiffs Sale generated on his slider. This is a process-over-results time of year.
“It was nice to get up and down a few times,” Sale said. “Just throughout the start, feeling momentum and being able to say, ‘This didn’t work last inning. Let’s try this.’ Just having more opportunities helps for sure.”
Sale long has been respected for his pitching wizardry. He made five consecutive All-Star games for the White Sox (2012-16). There was a time he was considered perhaps the best Red Sox starter since the great Pedro Martinez; from 2017-18, Sale had a 2.56 ERA with 13.2 strikeouts-per-nine over 59 starts.
But 2018 was a while ago, especially in the sports world. Baseball quickly forgets because it must. There are infinite young pitchers emerging, hoping to become the next Sale. The greatest talents still drop off in time, whether it’s thanks to injury, age or myriad factors.
Sale made 25 starts in 2019, suffering some bad luck. He had a 4.40 ERA but a 3.39 FIP. He’s appeared only 31 times since that season. Basically, since the world was flipped upside down by the pandemic, Sale hasn’t been on the radar because of injuries. His old team also finished last in three of the past four seasons.
He made 20 starts a year ago, showing enough to excite the Braves this winter. They acquired him from Boston – citing his 11 strikeouts-per-nine as an important factor – and later extended his contract.
The Braves are all-in on Sale’s renaissance. That’s telling. Under president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, there aren’t many bets this franchise has lost.
“It’s been awesome,” manager Brian Snitker said. “I knew what to expect because I had a lot of people call me who’d been with him when we got him. Everything was really, really good. It’s been great. He wants to be part of it, and his stuff is better than I expected, quite honestly.”
It’s a welcome new environment for Sale. The Braves tend to extract the most from veterans, and Sale might be the most talented pitcher they’ve acquired in recent years. He said he’s meshed well thus far with pitching coach Rick Kranitz and catchers Travis d’Arnaud and Sean Murphy, key figures in maximizing Sale’s ability.
“So far, it’s been great,” Sale said. “It’s been very seamless. Those guys have been around a while, so moving in with them and getting adapted is a lot quicker. They’re pros and they know what they’re doing back there, so that makes it a lot easier.”
At his best, Sale induced soft contact and piled up strikeouts. He’s still doing both. His average exit velocity last season (87.9) ranked in the 73rd percentile. The 34.6 hard-hit percentage was in the 80th percentile. As previously mentioned, the strikeout numbers are encouraging. That includes a 33.6 chase percentage that ranked in the 92nd percentile. His slider, once viewed as possibly baseball’s best, produced a 38.9% whiff rate, not far off his 2017 result (39.9%).
But whether Sale still has “it” isn’t really the question. It’s how long he can stay on the mound. That’s the type of inquiry that’ll be addressed in time. Its answer will have a heavy influence on this Braves season, particularly in October.
For now, all anyone can evaluate is the past few weeks. Sale has looked like and carried himself as someone worth betting on.
