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Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale expressed his excitement about “coming full circle” last season, winning the NL Cy Young Award thanks to the influence and support of former teammate Jake Peavy and Braves icon Greg Maddux.
In a conversation with former teammate Jake Peavy published on MLB Network on March 11, Chris Sale reflected on what it meant to him to win the 2024 Cy Young Award.
"Winning the Cy Young Award was really awesome for me, very unexpected after a lot of injury stuff like that," he said. "To be able to have just the full circle of that entire experience."
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Sale credited his former teammate Jake Peavy, with whom Sale spent parts of four seasons with the Chicago White Sox, for mentoring him as a young pitcher.
Similarly, Chris Sale credited Hall of Famer Greg Maddux for his role in mentoring Peavy while he and Maddux spent time with the San Diego Padres. Sale expressed his appreciation for this connection, saying:
"Having you (Peavy) be there, being the one on the Network announcing it, and then Greg Maddux be the guy actually announce it. You learned from him, I learned from you, and then we’re all sitting with these awards that we won. It was a cool moment for me to be announced by a guy, probably the best pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization."
Chris Sale became the eighth pitcher in Atlanta Braves' history to win the Cy Young, topping the league. Greg Maddux famously won three Cy Young awards in a row from 1993 to 1995. Tom Glavine won the award two times (1991 and 1998), while John Smoltz took home his Cy Young in 1996.
Sale went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts to go with a 1.01 WHIP. Those numbers allowed Sale to take home the rare pitching triple crown, making him the clear choice for the Cy Young in 2024.
Chris Sale cruised to 2024 NL Cy Young Award
Chris Sale received 26 of 30 first-place votes to cruise past runner-up Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies for the 2024 NL Cy Young Award. In addition to his 26 first-place votes, Sale got four second-place votes, bringing the total to 198 points.
That point total put Wheeler in a distant second at 130 points. Wheeler received 25 second-place votes in addition to his four first-place votes.
Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes got significant consideration, landing one second-place vote and 13 third-place votes. Skenes totaled 53 points to finish third, getting an eight-point lead on fourth-place winner Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres.
While Sale’s American League counterpart Tarik Skubal was a unanimous winner, four voters felt that Wheeler was more deserving than Sale. Wheeler went 16-7 with a 2.57 ERA and 224 strikeouts, one fewer than Sale.
If Sale remains healthy, he could have a shot at reprising his Cy Young season with the uber-talented Atlanta Braves team.
