Draft Spotlight: Chris Sale Takes Advantage Of Head Start

Chris Sale (Photo by Brian Westerholt)

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While a majority of the first-round picks were still unsigned on Aug. 6, lefthander Chris Sale, selected 13th overall by the Chicago White Sox, got a significant jump start on his peers by making his big-league debut on that date.

Sale had starred the previous summer in the Cape Cod League and was equally dominating as a junior at Florida Gulf Coast University, going 11-0, 2.01 with 146 strikeouts in 103 innings. While most clubs ranked the 6-foot-6 lefty as one of the two best college pitching prospects, he slipped marginally because of questions about his signability. However, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, a close disciple of commissioner Bud Selig and one of the staunchest proponents for toeing the line on MLB’s bonus recommendations, managed to sign Sale on June 20 for a bonus of $1.656 million.

In exchange for signing quickly and for the slot amount, Sale got a promise that he would get to pitch in the major leagues during the 2010 season. He did, and he did it well, going 2-1, 1.93 with four saves and 32 strikeouts in 23 innings over 21 relief appearances. His ability to throw strikes with three pitches, including a mid-90s fastball, from a deceptive, low three-quarters angle made Sale an instant hit in the majors.

Sale pitched effectively again the next season as a reliever, but the White Sox’s plan all along was to use him as a starter. He moved into that role in 2012 and quickly emerged as one of the best starters in the game, as evidenced by four consecutive All-Star Game selections through the 2015 season. At that point, Sale was the most productive major leaguer from the 2010 class, according to career WAR (Wins Above Replacement), followed by Harper.