The Major League Baseball awards are now over after the National and American League Most Valuable Player winners were announced on Thursday.
Chris Sall of the Atlanta Braves won the NL Cy Young Award, while Tarik Skubal won the AL Cy Young Award.
According to MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM’s “X,” opposing hitters hit just .159 with zero home runs against Sale’s changeup in 2024.
Braves special assistant Tyler Flowers offered his thoughts on Sale’s change.
“The resumption of Chris Sale’s changeup brings another element back into the game,” Flowers said.
Opponents hit just .159 with zero home runs against Chris Sale in 2024.#Brave |: @Braves:
🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbjGlC pic.twitter.com/LNAvhDnrIB— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 22, 2024
Flowers not only notes how dominant Sale’s changeup has been this season, but also believes it has helped him with longevity.
When Sale played for the Boston Red Sox, he used his slider more often, which Flowers believes contributed to his injury problems.
2024 was Sale’s first season with the Braves and he started 29 games with an 18-3 record with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 177.2 innings.
Sall had a career high in wins and most hits since the 2017 season, when he recorded 308 wins for the Red Sox.
After winning his first Cy Young Award of his career, it will be interesting to see how Sale performs next season if he does play another year.
The Braves will be hoping to get their newly acquired ace back on the field next season.
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Chris Sale reveals what the plans were before he was traded to the Braves