The Atlanta Braves are easing into Spring Training, but the spotlight is already shining bright-especially on veteran ace Chris Sale. With media availability in full swing, Sale took the mic and offered up some candid thoughts on both the game’s evolving technology and his own future in baseball.
Let’s start with the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system. Sale didn’t mince words: he has no intention of challenging pitches using the ABS.
His reasoning? He’s been living with missed calls for 15 years and isn’t about to start second-guessing umpires now.
Sale made it clear that if a pitch challenge is going to happen, it’ll be up to his catcher to pull that trigger. That’s a nod to the trust between pitcher and backstop-something Sale clearly values.
It also speaks to his old-school mentality, a mindset that’s increasingly rare in a game shifting toward tech-driven decision-making.
But the more compelling moment came when Sale addressed his contract situation. For the first time in his 15-year big league career, he’s heading into a season without knowing what comes next.
That kind of uncertainty can rattle some players-but not Sale. When asked whether he’d like to finish his career in Atlanta, he didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely,” he said, pointing to how the Braves gave him a second chance and helped him rediscover his dominant form.
And dominant might be underselling it.
Since arriving in Atlanta, Sale has looked every bit the ace he once was in his prime. Over two seasons, he’s racked up more than 10 wins above replacement (fWAR) and struck out over 32 percent of the hitters he’s faced. That’s elite territory-especially for a pitcher who’s dealt with more than his fair share of injuries in recent years.
He took home the 2024 NL Cy Young Award, a testament to just how electric his stuff has been. And if not for a freak rib injury-suffered while diving for a ball mid-season-he might’ve been right back in the mix for the 2025 award, too. Even with that setback, his numbers have been eye-popping, and his presence on the mound has been nothing short of commanding.
As he enters his age-37 season, the big question for Atlanta is whether Sale can stay healthy. If he does, there’s little doubt he’ll be a driving force in the Braves’ push for another deep October run.
And then there’s the contract angle. Will the Braves lock him up before he hits free agency?
That remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: both sides seem open to the idea of keeping this partnership going.
For now, Sale’s focused on the season ahead-on executing pitches, staying sharp, and helping his team win. But don’t be surprised if extension talks start to heat up as the year progresses. Because when Chris Sale is healthy, he’s still one of the nastiest arms in the game-and the Braves know exactly what they’ve got.