In spring training, the Atlanta Braves are getting ready for the 2025 regular season. Chris Sale has made his spring debut and was named the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner. The left-handed ace pitched two scoreless innings, which was impressive to say the least. Despite the Braves’ eventual 3-1 loss to the San Diego Padres, Sale had a successful start to spring training.
According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Sale stated after his two innings of work on Friday, “It’s good to get the first one out of the way.” “I’m always anxious before a start. I was pacing [in the clubhouse], and it seemed to go on forever, even between innings. Therefore, starting off well was a
pleasant sensation. The 35-year-old, a Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star pitcher, acknowledged that he still experiences anxiety before and during spring training games. Still, he evidently managed to achieve success.
Sale is the player the Braves want to head the rotation in 2025. Atlanta is ready to rely on Sale as an ace in the rotation since Max Fried is now in New York with the Yankees and Spencer Strider is recovering from an injury. From 2019 to 2023, Sale’s career with the Boston Red Sox appeared to be going in the wrong path. Few people in the MLB community would have foreseen his resurgent 2024 campaign due to injuries and poor performance. The Red Sox
The Red Sox traded Sale to the Braves ahead of the ’24 season, though, and the move went even better than expected for Atlanta.
Not only did Sale pitch in 29 games for the first time since 2017, but he recorded a stellar league leading 2.38 ERA. Sale also led the league with 225 strikeouts in what was truly a dominant season. Despite multiple previous top five finishes, Sale had never earned a Cy Young award before joining the Braves. That changed in 2024, though, as the veteran earned the honor for the first time in his career.
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