Chris Sale 2026 MLB Season Preview

The Atlanta Braves are banking on Chris Sale avoiding freak accidents next season. The team signed the ace southpaw to a one-year, $27 million extension through 2027 over the offseason, including a club option for 2028. Sale made a diving play from the mound during the ninth inning against the New York Mets on June 18, causing a fractured rib cage.

The nine-time All-Star didn't return to the active roster until August 30 and finished the season 7-5 with a 2. 58 ERA over 21 outings (20 starts). Atlanta missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017, but it could've been a different story had Sale never gotten hurt.

It finished seven games out of an NL Wild Card spot, and the 36-year-old missed around 10 starts. Given how effective he is, it's fair to assume that the club would've been closer to a postseason spot had he been healthy the whole time. For example, he had a 6.

2 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) when he had 29 starts in 2024. Regardless, that's in the past now. Sale will start the Braves' Opening Day home matchup with the Kansas City Royals on Friday night, giving him the chance to start a new chapter.