Braves’ Chris Sale named NL Cy Young Award finalist

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale is once again a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award, MLB Network announced Tuesday.

Sale is a finalist alongside Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski and Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sánchez.

The 37-year-old’s late-career resurgence continued with another exceptional season, posting a 2.16 ERA and striking out 200 batters in 162.2 innings. He helped lead the Braves to the fifth-best team ERA in baseball (3.63).

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For a rotation that weathered injuries throughout the Braves’ 94-win season, Sale was the anchor among arms like Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, Martin Perez and Tyler Mahle — a flier-turned-prized acquisition that helped fuel Atlanta’s push to an NL East title.

Sale’s 11-strikeout, complete-game shutout against the Dodgers on Aug. 27 turned heads around baseball to signify that he’s still got it. It also reignited Hall of Fame chatter: though injuries nearly derailed his career earlier this decade — tossing just 151 innings from 2020 to 2023 — his dominant stint in Atlanta has boosted his Cooperstown case, highlighted by a 2024 Cy Young win after posting an MLB-leading 18 wins and a 2.38 ERA in his first full season since 2019.

CHRIS SALE WITH A COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT AGAINST THE DODGERS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4IUTTtdjrw

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 28, 2026

While Misiorowski is the favorite to win the award (16-5 with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings across 30 starts), there’s no denying Sale turned in another Cy Young-caliber campaign. He signed a one-year, $27 million contract extension in February that includes a club option for $30 million in 2028.

The Cy Young Award will be announced Nov. 11.

Braves manager Walt Weiss, who replaced Brian Snitker and led the team to its first NL East title since 2023, is also a finalist for NL Manager of the Year, which will be announced Nov. 10.

All finalists

Here are all the finalists for this year’s BBWAA awards.

National League

MVP: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs; Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers; Brice Turang, Brewers

Cy Young: Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers; Chris Sale, Braves; Cristopher Sánchez, Phillies

Rookie of the Year: Carson Benge, Mets; Sal Stewart, Reds; JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals

Manager of the Year: Don Mattingly, Phillies; Pat Murphy, Brewers; Walt Weiss, Braves

American League

MVP: Yordan Alvarez, Astros; Junior Caminero, Rays; Bobby Witt Jr., Royals

Cy Young: Dylan Cease, Blue Jays; Parker Messick, Guardians; Cam Schlittler, Yankees

Reliever of the Year: Bryan Baker, Rays; Cade Smith, Guardians; Louis Varland, Blue Jays

Manager of the Year: Kevin Cash, Rays; Chad Tracy, Red Sox; Will Venable, White Sox