The Braves are sending Chris Sale to the mound Friday night as they open the final three-game series against the Phillies, and Atlanta could hardly have asked for a more fitting arm for the moment.
Sale’s case is already on the table. He won his first Cy Young in 2024, posted a 2.58 ERA last season, and now, at 37, he’s putting together what might be the best year of his career.
His 2.10 ERA is a career low, and he’s still striking out more than 11 batters per nine innings. By that measure, he’s been better this season than he was when he won the award two years ago.
The problem for Sale is that the field around him has gotten stronger. Cristopher Sanchez has delivered another impressive season in Philadelphia, but the name sitting at the top right now is Jacob Misiorowski, the breakout arm from Milwaukee.
With a few weeks left, it looks like a straight fight between Sale and Misiorowski. If the season ended today, Misiorowski would win the hardware. He leads the league in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP, and FIP, and the fact that he hasn’t won before only adds to his appeal with voters who tend to like a new face - especially one as unusual as he is.
Still, there’s plenty of time for the picture to change. Sale and Misiorowski are basically even in WAR, and Sale could still finish with an ERA under 2.00. If that happens, and Misiorowski hits a rough patch that pushes his ERA upward, it would be tough to overlook a 37-year-old future Hall of Famer who carries the Braves to an NL East title while finishing with a sub-2.00 ERA and more than 200 strikeouts.
The betting markets are siding with Misiorowski, and that makes sense because he controls his own fate. If he keeps pitching the way he has, Sale probably won’t be able to sway anybody. But one bad outing could flip enough of the numbers to make this race a lot tighter.
Even so, Sale would almost certainly tell you that the award isn’t the point. He’s done just about everything there is to do in the sport, but there’s one box left unchecked during this three-year run with Atlanta: pitching in a playoff game. That’s coming soon, and he has a chance to leave a lasting mark on Braves history when October arrives.
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All of that points to one offseason task that figures to sit near the top of the list: find a real answer in left field. Atlanta could look inward and give prospect Patrick Clohisy a chance to force his way into the picture, but the more obvious path may be to shop for a more established fit, with names like Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki already looming as possible targets. [Read more 🡒]
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One name that fits that mold is J.P. Crawford, the former Gold Glove shortstop whose contract with the Mariners expires after this season. His bat has been modest, but he would bring the kind of veteran presence and everyday reliability that can matter when a team is trying to settle one of the infield's most important positions without overextending for a bigger name. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Bullpen Success Is Hiding A Bigger Roster Problem
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Without much minor league help ready to plug in, every tweak to the relief corps turns into a bigger roster puzzle than it should be. The lack of interchangeable arms has forced the Braves into constant moves just to keep the group functioning, and it has made bullpen management feel like a weekly exercise in patching holes rather than building true depth. [Read more 🡒]