Spring is in the air, and with it comes the excitement of baseball’s return. The Atlanta Braves are gearing up for their 2025 season, hoping to bounce back from an up-and-down 2024 campaign. After posting an 89-73 record and falling short in the postseason, the team is eager to turn the page. Their journey begins this Saturday with a spring training opener against the Minnesota Twins-and leading the charge on the mound will be none other than Chris Sale.

The announcement, made earlier this week, comes as no surprise given Sale’s dominant performance last season. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2024 season, the veteran left-hander quickly solidified himself as a key figure in Atlanta’s rotation. Sale made 29 starts, his highest total since 2017, and posted an impressive 18-3 record with a league-best 2.38 ERA. His dominance also extended to the strike zone, where he averaged 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings while allowing just 0.5 home runs per nine-the lowest rate in the majors. Those numbers earned him his first career Cy Young Award and an eighth All-Star selection, cementing his status as one of baseball’s premier pitchers.

Sale’s performance in spring training last year set the tone for his regular-season success. Across five exhibition appearances, he logged 14 2/3 innings, finishing with a 3.07 ERA, 23 strikeouts, and five walks. This spring, the Braves are hoping for more of the same as they prepare to contend in a competitive National League East. With Sale taking the mound to open the exhibition schedule, Braves fans will get their first glimpse of the team’s ace as they look to put last year’s postseason disappointment behind them. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, with live coverage available on ESPN Atlanta 103.7 FM and the Braves Radio Network.