Atlanta Braves' Chris Sale Takes Home First Team All-MLB Honor

Chris Sale had another incredible season in the books for the Atlanta Braves, making his 10th All-Star appearance and propelling the team back to the playoffs which they missed out on last year. Even though the Braves were later eliminated in the NLDS by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sale's performance is still more than worthy of recognition.

The 37-year-old ace went 14-9 overall in 27 starts this year, posting an outstanding 2.16 ERA while striking out 200 batters. As usual, Sale remained the anchor of the Braves' rotation in a year where it was missing other key pieces such as Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach, both of whom should be back next season. Atlanta would also lose Bryce Elder, Martín Pérez and Reynaldo López to injuries near the end of the season.

Yet Sale persevered, giving up only one walk in the postseason and recording 19 punchouts. He was named to this year's All-MLB First Team as a result of his sustained dominance.

Atlanta and the Boston Red Sox reached an agreement on a trade in December 2023 that sent Sale and $17 million in cash to the Braves in exchange for infielder Vaughn Grissom who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels.

With Strider developing nicely and at full health, it made sense for the Braves to go after Sale to give their rotation a formidable 1-2 punch.

During his time with Boston, Sale made three postseason appearances, winning his first-ever World Series title in 2018. Meanwhile, 2021 was the last time he ever sniffed the postseason until Atlanta came knocking for his services.

Sale got to work during his first season as a Brave in 2024, improving his ERA to 2.38 from 4.30 the year prior. He also fanned 225 batters and recorded an elite 6.2 WAR across 177.2 innings of work.

While the Braves can count on Sale to have another strong season next year, he can't do it all himself as he turns 38 next March. General manager Alex Anthopoulos' mid-season acquisition of right-hander Tyler Mahle was a step in the right direction, but now that he's a free agent, re-signing Mahle or pursuing another bona fide starter should be a priority. 

Furthermore, Atlanta will have a decision to make on López who has struggled to stay healthy, having a lengthy history of shoulder issues with inflammation in his right shoulder cutting his season short in September.

The Sale trade keeps paying off by the year, but supplying him with much-needed reinforcements will be key to the Braves contending once again next season.