Chris Sale Looks Like Himself Again as He Hits 2,000 Innings Milestone
Chris Sale reached a major career milestone on Tuesday, surpassing 2,000 innings pitched in the Braves’ 2-1 win over the Reds. That achievement places him among just 450 pitchers in MLB history to reach that mark—out of nearly 9,800 who’ve taken the mound. Now 36 years old and in his 15th big league season, Sale’s road back has been anything but smooth.
Coming off a Cy Young-winning campaign in 2024, Sale struggled out of the gate in 2025. After a serviceable Opening Day start, he failed to make it past five innings in each of his next six outings, compiling a disappointing 5.40 ERA during that stretch. While his strikeout numbers remained solid, his overall effectiveness was lacking.
That narrative, however, is beginning to shift. In his latest performance against Cincinnati, Sale looked much more like his dominant self. It took 112 pitches to get through 6.2 innings, but the results were worth it: ten strikeouts, two walks, five hits, and no runs allowed. It marked his best start of the year, backed up by a 75 Game Score and strong command of his full repertoire.
Much of his resurgence can be credited to his signature slider, which he threw over 57% of the time and continues to lead the league with a 44.7% whiff rate. But on Tuesday, Sale was also effective with his four-seam fastball and sinker, each generating whiff rates above 30%. Notably, his fastball averaged 95.8 mph—over a full tick above his season average.
Sale’s pitch selection has also become more focused lately, with very few sinkers or changeups mixed in. Meanwhile, his ability to induce ground balls is improving, climbing back toward his career average after a dip earlier this season.
Thanks to his recent rebound, Sale now leads the Braves’ rotation in WAR (1.0), strikeouts per nine innings (12.0), and FIP (3.04). His resurgence comes at an opportune time, as other Braves starters like AJ Smith-Shawver and Grant Holmes are also showing progress. Spencer Strider remains sidelined, and Spencer Schwellenbach is still working to find consistency, but signs are positive across the board.
At this stage in his career, the Braves don’t need Sale to be a Cy Young ace every time out—they just need him to stay healthy and keep them competitive. And after two excellent outings in a row, it looks like he’s doing exactly that.
