Chris Sale is back in the NL Cy Young conversation, and this time it comes with another season that looked a lot like the one that won him the award a year ago.
MLB Network announced Tuesday that the Atlanta Braves left-hander is one of three National League finalists for the honor, joining Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski and Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sánchez. The winner will be revealed Nov. 11.
At 37, Sale put together another sharp run for Atlanta, finishing with a 2.16 ERA and 200 strikeouts over 162.2 innings. He was a central figure in a Braves rotation that had to absorb injuries all season, and he helped steady a staff that finished with the fifth-best team ERA in baseball at 3.63.
For Atlanta, Sale was the reliable arm in a group that also included Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, Martin Perez and Tyler Mahle. The Braves won 94 games, and Sale’s presence gave the rotation a backbone as the club pushed toward an NL East title.
One of his biggest moments came on Aug. 27, when he struck out 11 Dodgers and threw a complete-game shutout. That outing sparked fresh attention around baseball and added another chapter to the late-career revival that has reshaped how Sale’s run will be remembered.
The comeback has been a major part of the story. Sale was limited to just 151 innings from 2020 to 2023 after injuries threatened to stall his career. Since arriving in Atlanta, though, he has revived the Hall of Fame conversation, especially after winning the 2024 Cy Young with an MLB-leading 18 wins and a 2.38 ERA in his first full season since 2019.
Misiorowski may be the favorite after going 16-5 with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings across 30 starts, but Sale’s numbers still put him firmly in Cy Young territory.
Atlanta also has another finalist in the mix. Braves manager Walt Weiss is up for NL Manager of the Year after replacing Brian Snitker and guiding the team to its first NL East title since 2023.
That award will be announced Nov. 10.
Sale’s current deal also reflects how much Atlanta values what he has brought to the staff. He signed a one-year, $27 million contract extension in February that includes a club option for $30 million in 2028.
The BBWAA finalists announced Tuesday also included the following in the National League: MVP finalists Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers and Brice Turang of the Brewers; Rookie of the Year finalists Carson Benge of the Mets, Sal Stewart of the Reds and JJ Wetherholt of the Cardinals; and Manager of the Year finalists Don Mattingly of the Phillies, Pat Murphy of the Brewers and Weiss.
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