Chris Russo says Chris Sale is headed for the Hall of Fame

Chris Russo says Chris Sale belongs in the Hall of Fame and praised Atlanta’s decision to acquire the left-hander from Boston.

On SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Unleashed on Friday, October 2, a caller raised announcers’ repeated description of Sale as a “future Hall of Famer.” Russo agreed with that description.

“He’s had a long career. He’s going to the Hall of Fame,” Russo said.

Russo acknowledged the injuries that had interrupted Sale’s career but said they did not change his assessment.

“He was hurt a lot, but he’s a Hall of Fame pitcher,” he said.

Through the 2026 regular season, Sale had a 159-97 record, a 2.95 ERA and 2,779 strikeouts. He went 14-9 with a 2.16 ERA and 200 strikeouts for the Braves this season. The 10-time All-Star won the 2024 NL Cy Young Award and the National League pitching Triple Crown, leading the league with 18 wins, a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts. He also earned a Gold Glove that year and won the 2018 World Series with Boston.

Russo’s comments describe his view of Sale’s eventual candidacy. The Hall’s BBWAA election rules generally require players to have been inactive in the majors for at least five calendar years before election.

Russo also credited Braves executive Alex Anthopoulos for bringing Sale to Atlanta.

“They made a great trade with that,” he said. “I’m not blaming the Red Sox.”

He said Boston had needed to make a change after Sale’s injuries, then turned to the pitcher’s role in Atlanta’s National League Division Series against Los Angeles.

“How he pitches against the Dodgers would be key,” Russo said.