The Show-Stopper
Chris Sale
Red Sox fans can hardly wait to watch the arrival of newcomer ace Chris Sale as he takes the hill, and for good reason. Representing the blockbuster of the offseason, Sale came over from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for super-prospect Yoan Moncada, flame-throwing righty Michael Kopech, and two other low-minors prospects.
A few things bode well for Sale’s Sox transition. Firstly, he has historically dominated Boston’s AL East competition. A 2.25 ERA versus the Blue Jays, a 3.41 ERA versus the Orioles, a 3.76 ERA versus the Rays, and a whopping 1.17 ERA versus the Yankees (which is actually the lowest by any pitcher against the Yankees in the last 100 years with a minimum of 50 innings pitched) is sure to strike fear in the opposition.
But Sale’s dominance hasn’t been confined to the AL East, he’s a proven workhorse who is capable of putting up gaudy strikeout totals with devastating stuff and pinpoint command.
He has thrown 174+ innings since converting to a starting pitcher in 2012. In that span, he holds a 3.04 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 10.0 K/9, making the All-Star team each season. The key to his dominance is his infamous slider, coming off his three-fourths arm slot with otherworldly horizontal movement. To see why opposing hitters have managed to hit just .161 on the pitch over Sale’s career, check out this footage from the 2012 All-Star Game (apologies to
for showing this clip).
Corey Kluber
Indians’ mainstay Corey Kluber has been every bit as impressive as Sale ever since he broke out as a top-shelf starter in 2013. In that span, he has recorded a 3.16 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 9.5 K/9, showing the same ability to limit home runs and walks while racking up strikeouts. Somehow only making one All-Star appearance (2016), Kluber took home the AL Cy Young in 2014 before placing ninth and third in the subsequent seasons.
He was also a force to be reckoned with in the 2016 postseason, an experience that Sale has never felt stranded on the South Side. Over the Indians’ World Series run, where the team was notably without fellow starters Carrasco and Salazar, Kluber represented the only reliable starting pitcher, and it was a burden he handled with aplomb. Holding the opposition to seven runs over 34.1 innings, the righty registered a 4-1 record providing necessary stability to a shaky rotation.
In a battle between two bona fide aces and two of the top starters in the American League, it would be unfair to pick one over the other. Truth is, both Sale and Kluber are projected to have Cy Young-caliber seasons once again as they have each consistently done for years.
Advantage: Tie