The Braves have had a below average offense for pretty much the entire season, and it’s even been the worst over certain stretches. The only reason this club sits 10 games over .500 is because of the pitching staff, headlined by Max Fried, Reynaldo Lopez, and Chris Sale, the last of which is looking like the NL Cy Young frontrunner right now.
—
Odds from DraftKings via Covers:
Zack Wheeler +220
Chris Sale +350
Tyler Glasnow +500
Ranger Suarez +500
Max Fried +800
Reynaldo Lopez +2800
—
Zack Wheeler is having a phenomenal campaign thus far and is one of the best arms in all of baseball, but what Chris Sale is doing right now needs to be acknowledged without comparison.
In the National League, Chris Sale ranks first in WAR, wins, K-BB%, WHIP, FIP, and xFIP while ranking second in K%, third in BB%, and fourth in ERA. The Braves acquired the seven-time All-Star this offseason in exchange for Vaughn Grissom, and Sale has rewarded Atlanta.
He boasts an impressive 11-3 record with a 2.71 ERA, 2.24 FIP, 0.913 WHIP, and 11.5 K/9 across 16 starts and 99.2 innings. The Braves wouldn’t be keeping their heads above water without Chris Sale, which is looking like the acquisition of the entire offseason.
Not only did the Braves give up a player that didn’t have an obvious role in Atlanta, but the Red Sox are paying Sale’s salary this year. Boston fans watched him battle injuries for the better part of four years and then turn the clock back for the Braves while they pick up the check.
It’s another hell of a job by Alex Anthopoulos. There’s no reason to believe Chris Sale will regress either. He had a seven-year stretch where he never finished outside of the top six in the AL Cy Young race but never won. This could be the season in which Chris Sale captures the elusive award with the Braves.
—
David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.