The Atlanta Braves earned an 11-2 spring training victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday. Catcher Drake Baldwin led the offense with a home run, two hits and four RBIs. Chris Sale performed well on the mound, turning in six innings of one-run baseball.

However, Sale did not necessarily have his best stuff on the mound. He surrendered five hits and a home run. Additionally, the veteran southpaw only struck out three hitters. Yet, his performance on Monday tells the true story about how talented of a pitcher he is. 

When a star hurler has their best stuff, the game almost becomes easy. They are able to keep hitters off-balance while dominating on the mound. The real test to see how good a pitcher is stems from their performance when they don't have their best stuff. 

Sale only struck out three hitters and danced around trouble on the base paths all game long. However, he did not walk any batters. Sale also trusted his defense and generated a respectable amount of soft contact. 

It was a crucial adjustment for Sale, who now has a 3.29 ERA at spring training.

Will there be games where Sale strikes out seven or more hitters? Are there going to be contests where the left-hander reaches 10 strikeouts? The answer to both of those questions is yes. 

Braves fans will find comfort in the fact that Sale can still give his team an opportunity to win when he only has a few strikeouts, though. There are some star pitchers around the game who are unable to perform well when the strikeouts are not happening. For Sale, that is not the case.

Of course, strikeouts are usually not a problem for Sale. In 2025, he ranked in the 95th percentile in strikeout percentage and 83rd percentile in whiff percentage. Sale also ranked in the 86th percentile in limiting hard contact, however.

He is an all-around reliable starting pitcher. It is difficult to find someone as trustworthy as Sale on the mound. Whether he is on top of his game or not, Sale simply understands what it takes to help his team win baseball games. He has continued to make adjustments throughout his career.

Opening Day is right around the corner. Chris Sale is clearly poised to lead Atlanta's starting rotation once again during the upcoming 2026 MLB season.