Major reason for Chris Sale’s fear factor over Tarik Skubal explained by analyst

The Athletic conducted an anonymous player poll to answer some of the most burning questions from MLB fans. One poll result surprised many readers and analysts. The poll was conducted by writers from the Athletic, who interviewed more than 135 players from at least 21 different teams.

Veteran Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale, who has been in the major leagues for more than a decade, is the ace players would least like to face in a do-or-die Game 7 of the World Series.

Sale got eight votes, while reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, believed by many to be the best pitcher in the league, was next with five votes.

The Athletics' Tyler Kepner joined the "Foul Territory" podcast to discuss the poll and explained why players feared Sale, reigning NL Cy Young winner, over Skubal.

"Yeah, it was a little surprising. They're both coming off Cy Young wins there and It might have just been who we talked to in particular, but they're both lefties. You know, Chris Sale has done it longer, and I think Sale is just so naturally funky.

"Skubal's got a distinctive delivery, too, but from what I understand from hitters, it's especially hard if you're facing a guy with nasty stuff who also doesn't pitch like anybody else you ever see. Sale is just so tall and angular, and with the angle that he comes from, I don't know if there's anybody who looks quite like Sale. And I think that's the difference. There's just nobody who looks like him out there, combined with the nasty stuff."

Chris Sale is unlikely to be traded to Cubs per MLB insider

Despite a Cy Young-winning campaign last year, Chris Sale could be on the trade block as the Atlanta Braves seem poised to miss out on a playoff spot this season.

While the Chicago Cubs are rumored to be linked with a potential trade for Sale, MLB insider Jon Heyman brushed off the notion in an appearance on "670 The Score."

"You'd have to give up a top guy to get him." Heyman said. "Because obviously (a Sale trade) could certainly affect the World Series this year. You'd have to give up a top prospect. I'm not sure that he would go though.

After a shaky start to the season, Chris Sale showed his Cy Young caliber in his last outing against the Milwaukee Brewers this week. Sale registered a season-high 11 strikeouts in seven innings, conceding just a run to help the Braves to a 7-1 win.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash