Chris Sale of the Braves is the favorite for the NL Cy Young Award

The Braves have had a subpar offense for most of the season, and at times it’s been the worst. The only reason this club is 10 games over .500 is the pitching staff, led by Max Fried, Reynaldo Lopez and Chris Sale, the latter of whom currently looks like the favorite for the NL Cy Young.

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DraftKings odds on covers:

Zack Wheeler +220

Chris Sale +350

Tyler Glasnow +500

Ranger Suarez +500

Max Fried +800

Reynaldo Lopez +2800

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Zack Wheeler has had a phenomenal season so far and is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, but what Chris Sale is doing right now must be recognized without comparison.

In the National League Chris Sale ranks first in WAR, wins, K-BB%, WHIP, FIP and xFIP, while ranking second in K%, third in BB% and fourth in ERA. The Braves acquired the seven-time All-Star this offseason in exchange for Vaughn Grissom, and Sale has rewarded Atlanta.

He boasts an impressive 11-3 record, with a 2.71 ERA, 2.24 FIP, 0.913 WHIP, and 11.5 K/9 in 16 starts and 99.2 innings. The Braves wouldn’t stay afloat without Chris Sale, who looks like the signing of the entire offseason.

Not only did the Braves trade away a player who had no obvious role in Atlanta, but the Red Sox are paying Sale’s salary this year. Boston fans watched him battle injuries for nearly four years and then turn back the clock for the Braves while they collected the check.

This is also an insane job by Alex Anthopoulos. There is no reason to believe that Chris Sale will slow down. He had a seven-year stretch where he never finished worse than the top six in the AL Cy Young Award race, but never won. This could be the season that Chris Sale wins the elusive award with the Braves.

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David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire