The Atlanta Braves have revamped their coaching staff, hiring Jeremy Hefner as pitching coach after a disappointing season. Concerns have arisen regarding Chris Sale's velocity, which contradicts Hefner's coaching philosophy.
Braves writer sounds alarm on Chris Sale stat that goes against Jeremy Hefner's philosophy originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves made several changes to their coaching staff after hiring new manager Walt Weiss. Weiss made it clear the organization was entering a new direction following its failure to reach the postseason. One of the most notable additions was pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.
“Braves hired Jeremy Hefner as pitching coach. Hefner, 39, spent past 6 seasons with Mets, who had MLB's 6th-best ERA in that span. They also hired Antoan Richardson, 42, as 1st-base coach. He spent past 2 seasons in that role with Mets and was also OF & baserunning instructor,” The Athletic’s David O’Brien wrote.
The Braves pitching staff has performed well this season, but there have been some concerns, particularly around injuries and velocity.
“Chris Sale was asked why his velo was down a little bit. Says he noticed it pregame and knows sometimes you’re just not going to have it so you have to raise your focus,” Atlanta sports reporter Reggie Chatman Jr. posted.
Chris Sale has since seen his velocity improve, even approaching 100 mph. However, his slider has not been as effective as in previous seasons.
“On average, in an admittedly small sample, Sale's slider is getting significantly less movement both on the vertical and horizontal axes. The pitch is still moving enough to be passable, but losing multiple inches in both directions is rough. The results speak for themselves as opposing hitters are hitting .286 against the slider when they previously would be hitting well below .200 (.143 in 2025 and .171 in 2024, just to give a couple of data points),” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote.
Hefner is a strong advocate for the slider, as four of Atlanta’s five starters rank among the top 10 in usage of the pitch. Sale also leads that group in usage, which raises concern if the effectiveness does not improve.
It is still early in the season, so there is no need for full-scale panic. However, if the numbers continue to trend in the wrong direction, Sale may eventually need to reduce his reliance on the pitch.
More MLB news:
The Braves hired Jeremy Hefner as pitching coach and Antoan Richardson as first-base coach, signaling a new direction for the team.
Chris Sale's decreased velocity has raised concerns as it goes against the performance expectations set by the new pitching coach, Jeremy Hefner.
Jeremy Hefner spent the past six seasons with the New York Mets, where the team achieved the sixth-best ERA in Major League Baseball during that time.
Chris Sale acknowledged his velocity drop and stated that sometimes players just need to focus more when they are not at their best.
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