Braves' SP Chris Sale Ranked Among Top 2024 Signature Players

As the 2024 calendar year comes toward its conclusion, Chris Sale continued to be part of the discussion when looking back on the season

Chris Sale continues to stand out in everyone's minds when looking back on 2024 / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale continues to receive recognition for his renaissance season that earned him the Triple Crown and the Cy Young Award. MLB.com’s Will Leitch put out a top-10 list of signature players from 2024. 

Sale ranked fourth on the list, beating out former Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, who had a historic World Series MVP-winning performance. 

He ranked just behind Detroit Tigers starter and fellow Triple Crown and Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. 

Leitch was impressed by what Sale was able to accomplish after going through the amount of adversity that he did. On top of that, he didn’t just return to form, he arguably had the best year of his career and was rewarded for it. 

He finished the 2024 season with an 18-3 record, 2.38 ERA, 225 strikeouts, a 1.01 WHIP, a 174 ERA+, and a 2.09 FIP in 29 starts. 

“That makes what he did in 2024 that much more remarkable. Sale, at the age of 35, was a brilliant counter to Skubal’s exploits in the AL. The veteran lefty won the NL pitching Triple Crown (18 wins, 2.38 ERA, 225 strikeouts), while throwing his most innings (177 2/3) since 2017. He helped the Braves survive a tumultuous, injury-plagued season and won the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award. But that wasn’t the best award he got: Yep, he finally won himself that elusive Cy Young.”

Sale won the Cy Young almost unanimously, receiving 26 of 30 potential first-place votes. 

It’s as decorated of a year as it gets. It’s easier to list it all than it is to find several ways to describe each one in its own sentence: 

• BBWAA National League Comeback Player of the Year
• Sporting News National League Comeback Player of the Year
• Players Choice Awards National League Comeback Player of the Year
• Players Choice Awards National League Outstanding Pitcher of the Year
• 2024 National League Pitcher’s Gold Glove 
• 2024 National League Triple Crown (first to win it since 2011)
• 2024 All-MLB First Team 

Most guys by the time they are 35 years old are past their prime regardless of if they struggled with injuries or not. That’s what separates the best from the rest. Sale probably had that in mind because he was considering retirement ahead of being traded to the Braves last season. 

So, that only makes what Sale accomplished even greater. Suddenly, he’s a top pitcher in the game again and has completely revived his career. He’ll likely get the honor of being the Opening Day starter in 2025, which would be the sixth time he’s gotten the nod in his career. He started Opening Day three times for the Chicago White Sox and two times for the Boston Red Sox. 

The Braves know how to make the most of who is on the staff, and Sale might epitomize that success above all else.