The Atlanta Braves are gearing up for the 2025 season as spring training gets underway. Chris Sale, the reigning 2024 National League Cy Young winner, recently made his first appearance of the spring.
The veteran left-hander delivered an impressive performance, tossing two scoreless innings. Although the Braves fell 3-1 to the San Diego Padres, Sale’s strong outing was an encouraging start to his spring campaign.
“It’s good to get the first one out of the way,” Sale said after his two-inning stint on Friday, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. “I always get nervous before starts. So I was pacing [in the clubhouse] and even in between innings — it felt like forever. So to get off on the right foot was a good feeling.”
Despite being a seasoned pitcher with eight All-Star selections and a Cy Young award, the 35-year-old admitted that pregame nerves still affect him, even in spring training. However, he managed to channel them into a successful debut.
With Max Fried now a member of the Yankees and Spencer Strider recovering from injury, the Braves are counting on Sale to anchor their rotation in 2025.
From 2019 to 2023, Chris Sale’s career with the Boston Red Sox appeared to be on a downward trajectory due to injuries and inconsistent performance. Few around the MLB would have predicted his remarkable resurgence in 2024. However, after being traded to the Braves before the season, the move exceeded expectations for Atlanta.
Sale not only made 29 starts—the most since 2017—but also dominated with a league-best 2.38 ERA. He led the league with 225 strikeouts, capping off an outstanding season.
Despite multiple top-five finishes in Cy Young voting, Sale had never won the award until joining the Braves. That changed in 2024 when he secured the prestigious honor for the first time in his career.
Now, Sale will look to build on his success and deliver another strong season for Atlanta in 2025.
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