Sox Spotlight: Chris Sale
Chris Sale is on the Red Sox. I repeat: Chris Sale is on the Red Sox. I could not possibly be more excited about this, because Sale is a bonafide stud. His presence in an already-solid Red Sox pitching staff gives the Sox one of the best rotations in baseball, right up there with the Indians and Cubs. Chris Sale is going to make a big impact.
So, what kind of season is Sale coming off of? The southpaw has been nothing but solid over his entire career, and isn't showing many signs of slowing down significantly. Here's what he did last year, and what he's done over his career:
2016 Season: 32 starts, 17-10, 3.34era/1.04whip, 226.2IP, 233K's
Career Averages: 3.00era/1.06whip, 159IP, 177K's
So, what do these numbers mean? (besides him being an absolute animal, of course). The innings pitched and strikeout averages from his career are skewed from his first couple of seasons, but it still shows that he strikes out over a batter per inning. Basically: He dominates. His career WHIP of 1.06 and ERA of 3.00 at age 27 are outstanding. While his ERA last year was a little high (by Chris Sale standards), he still delivered 220 innings, struck out over a batter per inning, and had a WHIP under his career average.
The thing Red Sox fans will fall in love with about Chris Sale is his competitiveness. He's a competitor, just like Rick Porcello. Sale will be a lot of fun to watch in 2017, and will be THE ace of the Sox staff. Oh, and on a side note, he OWNS the AL East.
Here's our predictions for Sale in 2017:
Trending: Up
Role: THE Ace, Leader
Stats: 34 Starts, 18-8, 3.15era/1.09whip, 225IP, 239K's