Braves pitcher Chris Sale gave an honest answer about whether he’s secured a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The 2024 Cy Young Award winner is one of the most decorated pitchers of this generation. An eight-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion, the 35-year-old put together the best season of his career in 2024. Sale completed the rare triple crown, leading the National League in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average.
Despite these accolades, the Lakeland, Florida native was not optimistic about getting into Cooperstown in an interview on the digital baseball show Foul Territory.
When asked if he’s a Hall-of-Fame pitcher, Sale said, “No. Not as it sits right now.”
Chris Sale still has a lot more years left in his elite arm
This brutally honest take from the Braves’ ace showcases how hard it is to make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Going through all of Sale’s accolades: he’s an eight-time All-Star, one-time World Series Champion, Cy Young winner, Triple Crown winner, won a Gold Glove Award, and led the league in strikeouts in three seasons. That is a resume that, in any other sport, would make someone not just a Hall-of-Famer but a first-ballot one.
The good news is that after a historic season, Sale doesn’t sound like he plans on slowing down anytime soon. Having the best season of his career at 35 indicates that the lefty doesn’t exactly need youth on his side to be an elite starter. The question going forward is if Sale can stay healthy, something he’s struggled with at times this year and in the past.
The defending Cy Young winner is under contract with the Braves in 2025. He has a club option with the franchise after that. Atlanta is coming off a disappointing year for a franchise that has seen a ton of success under manager Brian Snitker. 2024 was the first time in seven years the Braves didn’t win the NL East. Atlanta still made the postseason but was eliminated by the San Diego Pardes in the NL Wild Card Series, marking the worst finish in the playoffs for the franchise since 2017.
While last season was not ideal, the Braves still have plenty to look forward to in 2025. For most of the year, Atlanta was without its best offensive player, Ronald Acuna Jr. The 26-year-old is a perennial NL MVP candidate and vital to the organization’s future. The franchise is also aggressively hunting stars in free agency. These targets include All-MLB pitchers Walker Buehler and Jordan Montgomery.
Despite an aggressive approach during the offseason, the Braves should be an elite team with just health on their side. First-baseman Max Olson went from having the best year of his career to struggling in 2024 in Atlanta. The 30-year-old is still in his prime and should have a bounce-back year, especially with Acuna Jr returning. Overall, the franchise is in good shape with Sale as its ace. Should the defending Cy Young winner maintain his form next year, Sale will secure his spot in Cooperstown.
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