Braves Chris Sale Named Among Rising (or Re-Rising) Players for 2025

The Atlanta Braves starter finds himself on a list that's usually for an initial rise - but he gets a nod for putting himself back on the map

Chris Sale's renaissance is expected to continue in 2025 | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale’s comeback season put him in unique territory. 

MLB.com’s Brian Murphy named Sale to his 12 players on the rise entering 2025. 

Normally, this list is reserved for the young, like Paul Skenes, or players finally showing they can reach new heights, like Matt Chapman. But Sale is a rare example of guys back on the rise.  

“Sale's rise, conversely, is really a rebound,” Murphy wrote. “The left-hander was the No. 5 player a decade ago and last made the Top 100 Right Now list ahead of the 2020 season. Then came a rash of injuries that limited him to only 31 starts over the next four years. However, after an offseason trade from the Red Sox to the Braves, Sale found the fountain of youth in Atlanta last year.”

Sale made 29 starts for the Braves in 2024 - the most he’s had in a single season since 2017. That stat is impressive on its own given that he had 31 starts between 2020 and 2023 combined. But he made his (mostly) healthy season count.

He finished 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA, a 174 ERA+, a 1.01 WHIP and 225 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings pitched. 

This effort earned him his first career Cy Young Award, the National League Triple Crown, NL Comeback Player of the Year by multiple outlets and a Gold Glove.

According to Murphy, Sale was just four strikeouts away from becoming the first pitcher since Johan Santana in 2006 to pace MLB in wins, ERA and strikeouts. His fellow Cy Young and Triple Crown winner, Tarik Skuball, finished with 228 strikeouts. 

Had he not missed the final two weeks of the season due to back spasms, he likely would have gotten a couple more starts and cleared this record. 

FanGraphs has Chris Sale finishing with a 14-8 record, a 3.07 ERA, a 4.6 WAR, a 1.07 WHIP and 230 strikeouts in 187 innings pitched over 31 starts. 

The projections and the writers are expecting him to have a strong follow up. He may not have Cy Young numbers again, but this is nothing short of a good season. If can reach this projected innings total, which would be more innings than he managed last season, that would be big. 

The Braves dealt with all kinds of injuries last season, so having Sale’s rise from start to finish would ease the burden and set them up for a World Series run.