Toeing the rubber for the second time this spring, Chris Sale doesn’t look like a pitcher that needs to warm up much more before the start of the regular season. After tossing two hitless innings in his first Spring Training start, he followed it up with four hitless innings Tuesday afternoon, allowing just one walk compared to four strikeouts.
The reigning 2024 NL Cy Young Award recipient is already in midseason form. He’s in complete control of the zone, and the stuff is nearly unhittable when it’s working. It’s no different than what we saw from Chis Sale all of last season, and really his entire career. When he’s healthy, there aren’t five better pitchers on the planet, and he’s only going to look stronger as he gets further away from the multitude of injuries that plagued him during his time in Boston.
Another interesting aspect of today’s start: Drake Baldwin was catching Chris Sale behind the plate, which could be the starting pitcher-catcher duo in a little over three weeks from now on Opening Day. With Sean Murphy out for 4-6 weeks after suffering a cracked rib, the a path is now clear for Drake Baldwin to receive some early season playing time, and he seems to have Sale’s vote of confidence.
“I thought he was great back there,” Chris Sale said, via Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. “Never looked overwhelmed. Never looked overmatched. Just right on point, really. So that was a lot of fun.”
“Just seeing him on a day-to-day basis, it’s fun for me because I’ve been here for a little bit now – just seeing how people work, how people operate, how people interact with people,” Sale said. “He’s always in the weight room. He has an unbelievable work ethic. He has a great routine from what I’ve seen. He’s around all the right guys and that’s what you want from a young guy who’s in the position to take over a very, very important position. He isn’t afraid to ask questions. He’s doing all the right things and like I said, it looks like he’s starting to chisel out a pretty good routine for himself. Very likable guy, too, which is great.”
Chris Sale and Drake Baldwin are two of the top storylines as the 2025 season-opener approaches. Even after winning the NL Cy Young award, Sale’s long-term health remains a concern. On the flip side, everybody is wondering if Baldwin can be the Braves next top prospect to turn into a star in Atlanta. With Murphy on the shelf, they could be the focal point on March 27th when Atlanta takes the field on Opening Day in San Diego.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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