Atlanta Braves Chris Sales earns top MLB pitching honor of 2024
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 14: Chris Sale #51 of Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on September 14, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Congratulations are in order to LHP Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves who just secured the 2024 National League Cy Young Award. This is the first time the pitcher has received the honor in his notable 14-season career.
The Braves say Sale demonstrated exceptional skill on the mound, leading the majors with an impressive 18-3 record and a 2.38 earned run average over 29 starts.
Sale, originally from Lakeland, Florida, also topped the National League in strikeouts. This achievement made him the league's first Triple Crown winner since Clayton Kershaw in 2011 and the first ever in Braves franchise history.
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 23: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves poses during the 2024 Atlanta Braves Photo Day at CoolToday Park on February 23, 2024 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The standout season saw Sale being named to his eighth All-Star game, winning a Rawlings Gold Glove Award, receiving a First-Team All-MLB selection, and earning the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award.
With this victory, Sale became the eighth Brave to win the Cy Young, a prestigious award given annually since 1956. The Braves, with their eight Cy Young Awards, are second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have won it 12 times.
To celebrate Sale’s achievement, the Braves will offer a special Chris Sale Cy Young Bobblehead to the first 15,000 fans during a game on April 9, courtesy of Delta.
What is the Cy Young Award?
The Cy Young Award is the highest honor for pitchers in Major League Baseball. Two are given out annually to the best pitchers, one for the American League and one for the National League.
The award was first given in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford C. Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young who died the year prior.
The Source: This story was written based on information provided by the Atlanta Braves and information on the Cy Young Award found in the Baseball Almanac.