In typical Chris Sale fashion, the reigning Cy Young award winner couldn’t let himself be the center of attention for a moment. The Braves announced the grizzled veteran would get the nod to be the Opening Day starter, but Sale took the opportunity to praise Spencer Strider, reminding everyone in the media room that Strider is the best pitcher in Atlanta.

Chris Sale on Spencer Strider: “Let’s not forget, he’s still the best pitcher on this team.”

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) March 17, 2025

The last time we saw a healthy Spencer Strider, the Braves ace led baseball in K/9 and total strikeouts. Though his 3.86 ERA from 2023 turns some off to the hype of Strider, his NL-leading 2.85 FIP suggests he was the victim of some terrible luck.

This is coming from the first Triple Crown winner the National League has seen since Clayton Kershaw did it over a decade ago. Chris Sale is coming off a magnificent season. A 2.38 ERA, 225 strikeouts, 2.09 FIP, and an 11.4 K/9 is just a ridiculous line.

That guy is calling Spencer Strider the best pitcher on the Braves, and he looked like it in his first appearance since undergoing internal brace surgery in April of last year, retiring all eight batters he faced, six of them via strikeout.

Sale’s comments speak to the breadth of talent this rotation has when healthy. Those two guys, with Spencer Schwellenbach and Reynaldo Lopez at their best, rival any rotation in baseball, including the Dodgers.

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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire