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2022 Player Outlook

Sale took the mound 18 months after having TJ surgery and while the results weren’t stellar (.277 BAA 4-seam fastball, .420 BAA changeup), they were very encouraging. His fastball velocity was just about where it was prior to his surgery (93.9), and opposing hitters had a .186 BAA his slider. That slider still produced a relatively high rate of whiffs per swing (39.26 pre surgery, 32.09 post surgery). His 1.336 WHIP was the highest of his career, but his 10.97 K/9 and 2.53 BB/9 were within range of his career averages. The question that most fantasy baseball managers have is just how many innings can Sale pitch this season and still remain effective? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is yet to be determined. As this article is being written he is the 16th starting pitcher being selected in NFBC drafts; whether or not you draft him within that range depends on your risk tolerance.