2018 Stats
W-L
12-4
ERA
2.11
WHIP
0.86
K
237
SV
0
2019 Projections
2019 Fantasy Outlook
Sale somehow raised the bar in 2018, with career-best marks in ERA (2.11) and WHIP (0.86) buoyed by outstanding indicators, namely a 32.9 K-BB% and 0.63 HR/9 that ranked first and fourth, respectively, among all hurlers who tossed 150-plus frames. His bid for his first Cy Young lost momentum, however, when shoulder inflammation set in, requiring two separate DL stints and limiting Sale to 29 second-half innings. He returned in time for Boston's World Series run, but clearly wasn't in top form. His average fastball velocity sat at 93.2 mph from September onward, per Brooks Baseball, nearly five ticks below its mid-summer peak. The lefty fortunately avoided offseason shoulder surgery, leaving the team optimistic he'll be back to full strength after extended rest and rehab. Sale's health still warrants a check-in during spring training, but if reports surrounding the southpaw are positive, he can be drafted with confidence as a fantasy staff ace. Read Past Outlooks
Stretches out arm
Sale participated in a throwing session Monday, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.
ANALYSIS
Sale, who experienced shoulder inflammation last year and threw just 29 innings after the All-Star break, showed up at camp with added weight. "He did it on his own," manager Alex Cora said. "He was very aggressive with his offseason workouts. We're very pleased with the way he went about it. All of them. It's good to see him gaining weight and throwing the ball the way he's been throwing the last few weeks. We're very comfortable with him." Sale, along with the rest of Boston's starters, will be brought along slowly in spring training. None are expected to begin throwing in games until early-to-mid March.
Sale, who experienced shoulder inflammation last year and threw just 29 innings after the All-Star break, showed up at camp with added weight. "He did it on his own," manager Alex Cora said. "He was very aggressive with his offseason workouts. We're very pleased with the way he went about it. All of them. It's good to see him gaining weight and throwing the ball the way he's been throwing the last few weeks. We're very comfortable with him." Sale, along with the rest of Boston's starters, will be brought along slowly in spring training. None are expected to begin throwing in games until early-to-mid March.
Pitching Stats
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Minor League Game Log
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Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2016
-9%
BAA vs LHP
2018
-7%
BAA vs LHP
| BAA | Batters | K | BB | H | HR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2016vs Left | .191 | 374 | 124 | 12 | 67 | 8 | ||
| Since 2016vs Right | .211 | 2001 | 654 | 110 | 390 | 54 | ||
| 2018vs Left | .170 | 107 | 41 | 3 | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2018vs Right | .183 | 510 | 196 | 31 | 85 | 11 | ||
| 2017vs Left | .203 | 132 | 41 | 6 | 25 | 3 | ||
| 2017vs Right | .209 | 719 | 267 | 37 | 140 | 21 | ||
| 2016vs Left | .197 | 135 | 42 | 3 | 25 | 5 | ||
| 2016vs Right | .232 | 772 | 191 | 42 | 165 | 22 | ||
| More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | |||||||
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2016
-18%
ERA on Road
2018
Even Split
| ERA | WHIP | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Since 2016Home | 3.19 | 1.01 | 256.2 | 11.5 | 1.9 | ||||
| Since 2016Away | 2.60 | 0.93 | 342.1 | 11.8 | 1.8 | ||||
| 2018Home | 2.11 | 1.00 | 64.0 | 13.4 | 2.4 | ||||
| 2018Away | 2.11 | 0.77 | 94.0 | 13.6 | 1.6 | ||||
| 2017Home | 3.16 | 1.00 | 88.1 | 11.9 | 1.8 | ||||
| 2017Away | 2.71 | 0.95 | 126.0 | 13.6 | 1.8 | ||||
| 2016Home | 3.88 | 1.04 | 104.1 | 10.0 | 1.6 | ||||
| 2016Away | 2.87 | 1.04 | 122.1 | 8.6 | 2.0 | ||||
| More Splits→ | View More Split Stats | ||||||||
Stat Review
How does Chris Sale compare to other starting pitchers?
This section compares his stats with all starting pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 120 innings). The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
K/BB
6.97K/9
13.5BB/9
1.9HR/9
0.6Fastball
94.7 mphERA
2.11WHIP
0.86BABIP
.304GB/FB
1.33Strand %
79.2%Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Red Sox Depth Chart
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Chris Sale
Derek VanRiper looks for undervalued pitchers by comparing multiple sets of projections to NFBC ADP data.
DVR & Liss debate whether or not you should grab Chris Sale in the first round.
James Anderson digs into the farm systems in the AL Central and thinks Detroit's Casey Mize is part of one of the best pitching duos in the entire minors.
Ian Kahn joins the RotoWire family with his brand-new dynasty league rankings, where Shohei Ohtani lands a top-25 placement.
Todd Zola walks through how he assembles a fantasy pitching staff and explains why Max Scherzer is the only hurler to get a pre-draft plan named after him.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
A late fade took some of the shine off Sale's first season in Boston, but he was excellent for most of the year, finishing as a top-three pitcher in terms of earned 5x5 fantasy value. The lefty didn't just add back to his strikeout rate; he posted the highest K/9 of his career (12.9), boosted by 18 double-digit strikeout performances. He also had the sixth-lowest walk rate among qualified starters and kept the home runs in check at home, resulting in the best FIP among all pitchers with at least 70 innings. Sale's consistency over the years and (surprising) durability should keep him near the top of starting pitcher rankings in 2018. The only real question is: where does he fit in among the entire player universe? A case can be made for anywhere in the 10-25 range, even though he pitches in a tough division, as he has the tools to be the most valuable pitcher in fantasy baseball in 2018.
More Fantasy News
Returns to full strength
Sale (shoulder) isn't expected to face any restrictions in spring training after returning to full health, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
ANALYSIS
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No structural damage to shoulder
Sale has no structural damage to his shoulder and should be fully recovered after an offseason of rest, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.
ANALYSIS
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Not expected to require surgery
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Thursday that Sale is unlikely to need surgery on his shoulder this offseason and should be "100 percent" by spring training, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
ANALYSIS
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Has 2019 option picked up
Sale's club option for 2019 was picked up by the Red Sox on Tuesday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
ANALYSIS
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Cedes Game 5 start
Sale will not start Game 5 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Sunday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
ANALYSIS
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