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Chris Sale's Cy Young push highlights the value of veteran pitchers
Chris Sale is proving that experience matters. In an era dominated by flamethrowers and young prospects, the 35-year-old lefty is carving out what could be a Cy Young-worthy season.
For the Braves, who took a gamble on Sale after the Red Sox traded him as a salary dump, the move is paying off big time. Sale leads the National League in wins (16), ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (213), making a clear case for why veteran pitchers should not be undervalued.
What makes Sale’s performance this season even more impressive is the shift in his approach. Once known for his dominant four-seam fastball, Sale has shifted to relying more on his slider, now throwing it 40.5 percent of the time compared to 34.5 percent in 2018, his last fully healthy season, according to Baseball Savant.
Strikeout No. 2⃣0⃣0⃣ for Chris Sale pic.twitter.com/s2axlAZMYQ
— MLB (@MLB) September 3, 2024
This isn’t just a subtle adjustment; it's a complete evolution in his strategy. His slider, now his go-to pitch, has a putaway percentage of 28.7 percent, the highest among all his pitches and a key to his success this season.
It’s easy to overlook Sale’s season in a league obsessed with velocity. He doesn’t have the 98 mph heat that once made him feared, but he's proving that there's more to pitching than pure speed.
Sale is thriving by outsmarting hitters, crafting at-bats where they’re forced to respect his mastery of movement and placement. No longer able to hide his slider as a deceptive surprise, Sale has adapted. Even without the advantage of surprise, his success speaks to his precision and understanding of hitters' tendencies.
The Braves’ decision to take on Sale’s contract wasn’t without risk. Sale had struggled with injuries over the past few seasons, and many believed his best years were behind him.
But in a season where Atlanta’s roster has been hit hard — with Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr. both missing significant time — the Braves needed a steady arm to anchor their rotation. Sale has filled that role to perfection.
Atlanta is currently tied with the Mets for the final wild-card slot, and without Sale’s contributions, it might not even be in the hunt, given the pitcher is worth 5.9 bWAR, which leads the majors.
Even Braves manager Brian Snitker has been amazed by Sale's resurgence. “How he does what he does is amazing to me,” Snitker told MLB.com's Mark Bowman after Sale’s season-high 113-pitch effort.
What Sale’s success highlights is a larger issue in how teams value players today. As younger players on team-friendly contracts rise through the ranks, older veterans often see their value decline simply because of their price tag.
Sale, for instance, was traded as part of a salary dump, a move that seemed more about financial flexibility than performance potential. Yet here he is, showing that teams may be prematurely overlooking the value of experience, especially in key positions like starting pitching.
It’s also a reminder that baseball is about more than just power and speed. Sale’s command, his ability to reinvent himself mid-career and his leadership on a team fighting for a playoff spot prove that the veteran arm still has a place in today’s game.
The Braves rolled the dice on Sale — and it’s looking like the best bet they’ve made all season.
More must-reads:
- Braves have another major injury concern as starting pitcher gets pulled
- Looking back at the greatest MLB teams of the 00s
- The 'Atlanta Braves all-time strikeouts leaders' quiz
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Braves' Brian Snitker Announces Matt Olson News After 746 Straight Games
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson has been the most durable player in MLB over the course of his ten-year career. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger has not missed a regular-season game for the Braves, appearing in all 162 matchups over the past three seasons. Olson also appeared in every possible regular-season game twice during his six-year stint with the Athletics, accomplishing the feat in both 2018 and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His offensive production continues to be elite as his career progresses, despite the workload—making him one of the league’s most valuable players to roster. He earned his third All-Star appearance at Truist Park this year. Matt Olson Injury News Heading into Wednesday’s series finale against the Chicago White Sox, Olson has logged 746 consecutive games dating back to May 2021, the 12th-longest streak in MLB history. Before the game, manager Brian Snitker announced that Olson had been dealing with a sore toe sustained while running the bases on Tuesday, but believed Olson could play through it. The first baseman was reportedly adamant about remaining in the starting lineup. “#Braves' Matt Olson is dealing w/ a sore toe, which Snitker said happened while running out a double Tuesday. He's in the lineup tonight, his 747th consecutive game. ‘I tried to get him to take (day off), but he wouldn't,’ Snitker said. ‘Something that he can play through, I think,’” wrote The Athletic’s David O’Brien. Olson’s Durability Continues to Anchor Braves Amid Disappointing Season The Braves have had a disappointing season after entering the year with World Series aspirations, and without Olson’s durability, the team may have fared even worse. Olson has smashed 19 home runs and driven in 72 runs while batting .267 with a .366 on-base percentage and .819 OPS across 125 games for Atlanta. He’s locked into the Braves’ long-term future after signing an eight-year, $168 million contract in 2022, and although he’s made it clear the streak is important to him, the toe injury and its severity will be worth monitoring. Atlanta may have to make a tough decision if it worsens.
Three burning questions about SEC's huge conference schedule change
The SEC is moving to a nine-game conference schedule, and we have questions. The conference answered some (the nine-game schedule will begin in 2026, each team will have three annual opponents), but others remain. Here are three we're particularly interested in: 1. What happens with the ACC? Earlier Thursday, Yahoo Sports college football reporter Ross Dellenger shared that momentum was building for the SEC to adopt a nine-game conference schedule after executives met this week. He added that a move by the SEC could force the ACC, which plays an eight-game conference schedule, to do the same. However, with the conference sitting at 17 teams, it's mathematically impossible for the league to schedule nine conference games per team. The conference likely wouldn't kick out a member. Instead, adding an 18th team would make more sense. Memphis threw itself at the Big 12 and fell on its face. Perhaps the ACC would be more interested? The ACC already has a scheduling agreement with Notre Dame, and it might also pursue strengthening those bonds by having the Irish play more conference opponents. 2. Will SEC still schedule FCS out-of-conference games? On the surface, the SEC adding more competitive games is a win for fans. That said, if the conference is adding one conference game, it's taking one out-of-conference game away. Depending on which one, a nine-game SEC schedule will hardly be worth celebrating. Instead of scheduling challenging out-of-conference games, SEC programs might be more inclined to ensure easy wins by paying overmatched FCS teams to get blown out by 50 points. Where's the fun in that? 3. How does a nine-game conference schedule impact College Football Playoff format? The Big Ten and SEC, college football's biggest conferences, have been at odds over the CFP's future, with the Big Ten favoring a 4-4-2-2-1 format that features four automatic qualifiers for it and the SEC, two for the ACC and Big 12, and one for a mid-major. At-large bids would fill the rest of the 16-team field. The SEC, meanwhile, has supported a format that rewards the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large teams. By moving to nine conference games, the SEC might be more receptive to the idea of automatic qualifiers as teams compete more intensely, ensuring that it gets a set number of seats at the CFP table each season. Last season, the first year of the expanded 12-team playoff, the SEC only landed two at-large berths. Nevertheless, it might still prefer a 5-11 CFP format, relying on the perceived strength of the SEC to gobble up more bids in future seasons. On Aug. 11, the Associated Press published its preseason top 25 poll, which featured 10 ranked SEC teams. There are a few things the conference loves more than "quality losses," and commissioner Greg Sankey will be able to champion even more with the expanded SEC schedule. While a lot remains uncertain, that's one thing we're certain of.
Kent Hughes requested Nick Suzuki approval before making trade
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'Look out for this dude': Former NFL exec has warning about unexpected SEC quarterback
Quarterbacks like Texas' Arch Manning, Clemson's Cade Klubnik and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier are getting all the hype as the 2025 college football season quickly approaches, but don't sleep on South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Sellers, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound redshirt sophomore from Florence, South Carolina, had an intriguing redshirt freshman season for the Gamecocks. So much so, that he very well could find himself listed among players like Manning, Klubnik and Nussmeier in the Heisman Trophy race by the end of this season. He's also the exact type of quarterback who will have NFL scouts raving. Louis Riddick is a former NFL player, scout and executive who is extremely high on Sellers heading into this season. He was recently on ESPN's "Get Up" and had many great things to say about South Carolina's young quarterback. “I’m just telling you, look out for this dude," Riddick said (h/t On3). "He can run. He has got a cannon. They have got a good program down there. He is everything that you’re looking for. Just look at some of this. Look how big this kid is. Look how fast and elusive he is.” Sellers is a classic dual-threat quarterback who fits the mold of a modern QB perfectly. Last season for the Gamecocks, he threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns (with seven interceptions) while rushing for 674 yards and seven touchdowns. Much like its quarterback, South Carolina is a bit under the radar in a stacked SEC, but head coach Shane Beamer went 9-4 last season, and his Gamecocks are ranked No. 13 in the preseason AP Top 25. South Carolina has a stretch in the middle of the season that will see it play consecutive games against No. 9 LSU, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 8 Alabama, No. 21 Ole Miss and No. 19 Texas A M. Coastal Carolina is a respite on the schedule on Nov. 22, and the Gamecocks end their regular season against No. 4 Clemson. If the Gamecocks can pull off a few wins in that stretch, they very well could be a College Football Playoff team this season. In order to do that, though, they'll need Sellers to become a superstar, but listening to Riddick talk about the quarterback, it seems as if he's already on his way.
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