Chris Sale Dismisses Hall of Fame Odds After Cy Young Win: ‘Got a Lot of Work to Do’

Andrew PetersNovember 21, 2024

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Chris Sale’s Hall of Fame odds improved when he won his first Cy Young Award on Wednesday, but the Atlanta Braves pitcher isn’t concerned with earning a spot in Cooperstown right now.

Per The Athletic’s David O’Brien, Sale joked about being in the same conversation with Braves Cy Young Award winners and Hall of Famers like Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz before rebuffing the idea that being included with those names can increase his Hall of Fame chances.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do if that’s the case,” Sale said. “And I’m not going to sit here and look at this big, giant mountain in front of me, I’m just going to start climbing it, right? So my job is to go out there and give my team a chance to win. And I want to be able to do that to the best of my ability. I mean, heck, I had the first healthy season in, like, five years, and now we’re talking about Hall of Fame?”

“I’m just appreciative I got through this one and I want to enjoy this moment and soak it in.”

As Sale mentioned, he played his first fully healthy season since 2019 this year. He did not disappoint in his debut season with the Braves, posting the best ERA in the majors at 2.38, the second-most strikeouts with 225 and the sixth-best WHIP at 1.01. He also was tied for the best record in baseball at 18-3 in 29 appearances.

In 2024, Atlanta lost star Ronald Acuña Jr. after just 49 games due to a torn ACL and had several other key players deal with a handful of injuries. Despite the adversity, the Braves ended up reaching a wild-card series thanks in large part to Sale.

If he can follow up his big year with another dominant season on the mound, Sale could be on his way to his second World Series and give his Hall of Fame odds another significant boost.