Atlanta Braves Chris Sale Named to All-MLB First Team

Chris Sale had an eventful night, taking home his first career All-MLB nod

Chris Sale is the lone Atlanta Braves player to make the All-MLB Team this season / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale has been named to the All-MLB First Team. He is the only Atlanta Braves player to be named to either the first or second team this season. 

Presenting your 2024 All-MLB First Team! 💥 pic.twitter.com/Yqtr5mwiJO

— MLB (@MLB) November 15, 2024

According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, Marcell Ozuna was the only other strong candidate on the Braves this season for the honor. However, he lost the designated hitter spots to the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (First Team) and the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (Second Team).

It’s the first time he has been named to an All-MLB Team in his career. The honor was created in 2019 - which lined up with when he started to have the down years of his career. 

The Tigers’ Tarik Skubal, the Pirates’ Paul Skenes, the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler and the Orioles’ Corbin Burnes were this year’s other First Team starting pitchers.

Sale had himself an eventful Thursday night, taking home the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award as well. 

He certainly had a season worthy of being part of the First Team. 

Sale finished leading the National League in wins (18), ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (225) - winning the first National League Triple Crown since Clayton Kershaw in 2011. Finished three strikeouts behind Skubal - falling just short of having the MLB-wide Triple Crown. 

For good measure, he also led the league in FIP (2.09), ERA+ (174), strikeouts per nine innings (11.4) and home runs per nine innings (0.5). 

Sale made the eighth all-star game of his career and his first since 2018 and won the NL pitcher’s Gold Glove Award. It is the first Gold Glove of his career. 

He’s viewed as the frontrunner for the Cy Young Award, which he was named a finalist for alongside fellow MLB First-Team members, rookie phenom Paul Skenes and Zach Wheeler. 

The All-MLB Team is very similar to the MLB All-Stars - except at the end of the season. They’re voted on by fans via an online ballot.