This article is part of our MLB Picks series.
Chris Sale is one of the top pitchers in MLB when he's on his game, but he's been on the mound for fewer than 50 innings over the past three seasons combined. Can the lefty finally stay healthy and help bring the Red Sox to the playoffs in 2023 after Boston's disappointing 2022 season?
To bet on the Red Sox playoff odds and other futures, sign up with the best Massachusetts sportsbooks using the top Massachusetts sports betting promos.
What Is Chris Sale Capable Of?
Chris Sale can be the ace of Boston's pitching staff when healthy. After signing with the Red Sox in 2017, Sale proceeded to post a 17-8 record and 2.90 ERA along with a league-leading 308 strikeouts. He finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting that year and was an integral part of Boston's World Series team the following season.
Overall, Sale's 40-25 in his Red Sox tenure, but the hard-throwing southpaw's past three seasons have been marred by injuries. After missing the entire 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery, Sale threw only 42.2 innings in 2021 and a measly 5.2 in 2022.
Sale's most recent injury was a fractured right wrist, but he's on track to be fully recovered before Opening Day and is going through a normal spring training ramp-up for the first time since 2019. If Sale can regain his pre-injury form, that would give Boston's beleaguered rotation a much-needed No. 1 option.
What Are The Red Sox Odds To Make The Playoffs In 2023?
Boston has +320 odds to make the playoffs and -400 odds to miss the playoffs in 2023 under baseball future bets on Caesars Sportsbook, one of the best Massachusetts betting apps. New customers who are at least 21 years old and located in a state with legal mobile sports betting can use Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code ROTOFULL to get their first bet matched up to $1,250 if it's unsuccessful. A winning $1,250 bet on Chris Sale to bring the Red Sox back to the playoffs at +320 odds would pay out an additional $4,000 for a total of $5,250.
The Red Sox have made the playoffs only once in the past four seasons, but they reached the postseason in each of the three years preceding this poor stretch. The final AL playoff spot in 2022 went to the Rays with an 86-76 record. The over/under on Boston's wins in 2023 is set at 77.5, but a bounce-back season from Sale would fill Boston's biggest need and could bring the Red Sox back to the playoffs in 2023.
Why Chris Sale Can Bring The Red Sox Back To The Playoffs In 2023
Offense wasn't the problem for the Red Sox in 2022, as they ranked eighth in MLB with 4.54 runs per game. However, Boston's pitching staff struggled without a true ace — the Red Sox posted the league's sixth-worst team ERA at 4.53 en route to a 78-84 finish. If Sale can lead a resurgence from the pitching staff, Boston could exceed expectations and contend for one of the three AL Wild Card spots, if not the AL East Crown, in 2023.
