Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but Chris Sale is pretty good.
The Boston Red Sox gave up four prospects, including two of their best in Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech, to land the left-handed starter this offseason, and Sale still has managed to exceed expectations. After Friday night’s 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels, Sale now is 12-4 with a 2.48 ERA. He reached 200 strikeouts for the season after putting up nine in L.A.
With 200 K’s in 20 or fewer starts, Sale joins some elite company.
Not only are Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez all Hall of Famers. But Sale also one-upped two of those guys with his performance Friday night.
Sale reached 200 strikeouts faster than any American League pitcher in Major League Baseball history with just 141 1/3 innings of work. Johnson did it in 143 innings in 1995, and Martinez did it in 147 innings in 1999.
“I’ve not been around a pitcher that’s had those kind of totals,” Red Sox manager John Farrell told reporters Friday, per ESPN.com. “The strikeout capability is certainly unique. He’s an elite pitcher.”
Sale so far has shown no signs of slowing down, so we can only imagine what else he’ll accomplish in 2017.
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
