Chris Sale was seemingly on the verge of retirement in 2023 with the Boston Red Sox. However, he ended up getting traded to the Atlanta Braves during that offseason in a move that would prove to revitalize his career. Sale went on to win the 2024 National League Cy Young Award and he has continued to pitch well in 2025. On Wednesday against the New York Mets, Sale turned in a Cy Young-caliber performance.

The left-handed starter fell just short of a complete game shutout. He ended up holding the Mets scoreless through 8.2 innings pitched while striking out seven and walking just one hitter. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor gave Sale his flowers with a four-word admission after the game.

“Hats off to him,” Lindor said, via David O’Brien of The Athletic.

Article Continues BelowLindor’s comments perfectly summarize the night for the Mets. New York leads the National League East. It has been a quality campaign for the ball club. On Wednesday, though, all the Mets could do was watch Sale dominate as the Braves earned a 5-0 victory.

Sale has pitched to a 2.52 ERA across 15 starts in 2025. He’s also struck out 114 hitters across 89.1 innings of work. Sale, who was one of the better pitchers in the American League during his time with the Chicago White Sox and early in his Red Sox career, failed to win a Cy Young despite multiple top-five finishes. Yet, just one season into his NL career, Sale took home the honor in 2024 with Atlanta.

And he may be on the verge of earning back-to-back NL Cy Young Awards if he continues to pitch at an elite level. Many players begin to decline in their mid-30’s, but Chris Sale is only getting better with age. The 36-year-old has been a bright spot for a Braves team that has struggled overall through the first few months of the ’25 season.