Sale Named Cy Young Finalist

Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale is a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award, MLB Network announced Tuesday. The award will be presented on Nov. 11. Sale is one of three players named for the honor. He is joined by Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski and Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sanchez.

Sale finished the season with a 2.16 earned run average. He struck out 200 batters in 162.2 innings. The 37-year-old pitcher helped lead the Braves to the fifth-best team earned run average in baseball, which was 3.63. His performance marked another strong season for the veteran arm.

The Braves rotation faced injuries during their 94-win season. Sale served as the anchor for the staff. He worked alongside Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, Martin Perez, and Tyler Mahle. His stability helped fuel Atlanta's push to win the National League East title.

A key moment for Sale occurred on Aug. 27 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He recorded 11 strikeouts in a complete-game shutout. That performance drew attention from across Major League Baseball. It also renewed discussion about his case for the Hall of Fame. Injuries limited him to 151 innings from 2020 to 2023, but his recent years in Atlanta have strengthened his resume. He won the Cy Young Award in 2024 after posting an MLB-leading 18 wins and a 2.38 ERA.

Misiorowski is considered the favorite to win the award this year. The Brewers pitcher is 16-5 with a 1.80 ERA. He recorded 252 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings across 30 starts. Sale signed a one-year, $27 million contract extension in February. The deal includes a club option for $30 million in 2028.

Braves manager Walt Weiss is also a finalist for NL Manager of the Year. The award will be announced on Nov. 10. Weiss replaced Brian Snitker and led the team to its first NL East title since 2023. Other NL finalists include Pete Crow-Armstrong, Shohei Ohtani, and Brice Turang for MVP. The AL Cy Young finalists are Dylan Cease, Parker Messick, and Cam Schlittler.