Chris Sale is basically a walking anomaly at this point. You’ve seen the delivery—that chaotic, limbs-everywhere sidearm whip that looks like it should result in a trip to the IL every third pitch. Yet, as we sit here in early 2026, the guy is still carving up big-league hitters. If you’re looking for the specific dirt on chris sale strikeouts last game, you have to look back at the tail end of his 2024 and 2025 runs with the Atlanta Braves, because that’s where the "Condor" proved he wasn't just a nostalgia act.
His final regular-season appearance of 2025 came on September 28 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He didn't just show up; he dominated.
Breaking Down the K-Count
In that final outing against Pittsburgh, Sale punched out 9 batters.
It wasn't a fluke. Honestly, it was a statement. He went 5.2 innings, surrendered only one earned run, and looked like the vintage version of himself that used to terrorize the American League. When you look at the chris sale strikeouts last game stats, the sheer volume is impressive, but it’s the way he got them that tells the story. He was mixing that wipeout slider—which still generates a whiff rate near 40%—with a fastball that, while not sitting at 99 mph anymore, has enough life to freeze guys when they’re protecting against the breaking stuff.
He threw 93 pitches. 62 of those were strikes. That's a 66% strike rate for a guy who many thought would be "washed" by the time he hit his mid-30s.
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The Recent Log
To put that 9-K performance in perspective, look at how he closed out the year:
- Sept 28 vs PIT: 5.2 IP, 9 Strikeouts (The final statement)
- Sept 22 vs WSH: 5.0 IP, 6 Strikeouts (A bit of a struggle with 5 ER, but the K-stuff was there)
- Sept 16 @ WSH: 8.0 IP, 9 Strikeouts (Total masterpiece)
Sale finished 2025 with 165 strikeouts in just 125.2 innings. If you’re doing the math, that’s an 11.8 K/9. That is elite. Period. It’s actually higher than his 2024 Cy Young season (11.4 K/9), even though a freak rib injury limited his total volume.
Why the Rib Injury Changed the Narrative
The only reason people aren't talking about Sale as a back-to-back Cy Young winner is a fractured ribcage. He suffered it making a diving play—classic Chris Sale, playing with zero regard for his own skeleton—and it cost him a huge chunk of the middle of the season.
Before that injury, he was on a tear. After he came back in late August, he didn't miss a beat. Over his final 36.1 innings of the 2025 season, he posted a 2.72 ERA and a WHIP of 0.83. You just don't see 36-year-old lefties come off the 60-day IL and immediately start posting those kinds of "video game" numbers.
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People sort of forgot that Sale won the Triple Crown in 2024. He led the National League in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. Entering 2026, the question isn't about his "stuff"—it’s clearly still there—it’s about whether his body can survive the torque of that delivery for 30 starts.
The Road to 3,000
Right now, Chris Sale sits at 2,579 career strikeouts.
He’s 421 away from the magic 3,000 mark.
In a world where starters rarely go deep and strikeout rates are being neutralized by shorter outings, 3,000 is the new 300 wins. It's the automatic Hall of Fame ticket. If Sale stays healthy in 2026 and matches his usual production, he could realistically knock out 200 of those this year.
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That would leave him needing one more solid season in 2027 to join the elite club. Honestly, watching him work in that last game against the Pirates, it’s hard to bet against him. He was locating the back-foot slider to righties with the same precision he had in 2017.
What the Scouts are Seeing
- The Slider: It’s still his bread and butter. It tunnels perfectly with the four-seamer.
- The Changeup: He used it about 7% of the time in 2025, but it’s a crucial "show-me" pitch to keep hitters from sitting on the slider.
- Command: He issued only 32 walks all last season. You can't hit him if he doesn't give you free bases, and he rarely does.
What to Watch for in 2026
As the Braves gear up for the 2026 season, Sale is the projected anchor of a rotation that’s had its share of health scares. With Spencer Strider returning and young arms like Schwellenbach stepping up, Sale doesn't have to carry the entire load.
But he's Chris Sale. He wants to carry the load.
If you're tracking chris sale strikeouts last game to see if he’s still "him," the answer is a resounding yes. The velocity might fluctuate, and the ribcage might be held together by grit and willpower, but the ability to make professional hitters look foolish hasn't gone anywhere.
Keep an eye on his first few starts of 2026. If he’s sitting 92-94 mph with the heater and that slider is biting, he’s going to fly past 2,700 career punchouts before the All-Star break.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Monitor the Velocity: If Sale is hovering around 93 mph in April, he's in a great spot. If it dips to 89-90, he’s relying purely on guile.
- K-Prop Betting: In 2025, Sale cleared his strikeout over/under in 70% of his starts after returning from injury. He’s a high-floor K guy.
- The Milestone Tracker: Bookmark his Baseball-Reference page. Every strikeout from here on out is building a Cooperstown resume.
Sale is entering a contract year. He’s 36, turning 37 soon, and playing for what might be his last big multi-year deal or a legacy-defining extension in Atlanta. Based on those 9 strikeouts in his last outing, the fire is still burning pretty hot.