By: Harold Klapper
As most know by now, Chris Sale’s first couple of starts of the 2019 season haven’t been dominant. A pitcher that has been in Cy Young award contention for the past couple of years and one of the most reliable starters in the league has hit a rough patch. Some think it’s an injury and others think he should simply take time off and rest. However, the Red Sox shouldn’t take him out of the starting rotation and should give him a few more starts before they make any decisions. It’s vital for Sale to get his confidence back and pitch at a rate similar to what he has been doing in years past.
Velocity is a part of Sale’s game that makes him special. He overpowers batters by throwing fastballs in the range of 98-100 mph. This, mixed with sliders and other offspeed pitches, make him one of the most unhittable pitchers in baseball. But, in 2019, his velocity hasn’t been near what it was in the past. In his first 5 starts he has gone 0-5 with an average fastball velocity of 92.7. This number looks to be concerning, but it is simply low because of his first three starts. In Sale’s start against the Yankees his fastball was averaging 95 mph and hit a high of 98 mph, indicating that these high speeds are still attainable. The Red Sox shouldn’t jump to conclusions about his velocity because he has shown this year that it’s possible for him to reach his old speeds. Five starts shouldn’t dictate his spot in the rotation and Sale should be given until June to see if his fastball picks up a little velocity.
Regardless of velocity, Sale hasn’t been posting good numbers. His ERA is 6.30 and he has given up 7 home runs in 30 innings pitched. In 2018, Sale gave up 11 home runs in 158 innings. This early amount of power against Sale isn’t a good sign, especially since he has had great success avoiding home runs in the past. Yet, it would be a bad decision to sit Sale for a couple of starts because it could mess with his progression in becoming a dominant pitcher again and it could ruin a lot of his confidence. If Sale is benched for a couple of starts, it would give him less time to work up his fastball and give him less time to ease into becoming a fantastic pitcher again.
Chris Sale has been dominant in every year of his career, except 2019. His velocity has been down and a lot of home runs have been given up early on. He has a high ERA and bad numbers, but the Red Sox should still stick with him. He’s been in the MLB for 9 years and a pitcher of his caliber would need more than 5 bad starts to be taken out of the rotation temporarily. The Red Sox should definitely hesitate before they take him out because it might hurt his recovery from a bad start to 2019. It’s best for Sale to keep throwing and eventually he will get out of the slump he is in.
The Red Sox shouldn’t finalize this sale just yet.
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