Former All-Star pitcher CC Sabathia is on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this season. He has no question about which team he wants to represent if elected.
Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reported that Sabathia “absolutely” intends to represent the New York Yankees. The lefty spent 11 of his 19 major league seasons in pinstripes, making the Yankees the logical choice.
Sabathia had a solid career during his 19 years in the majors. A six-time All-Star, he posted a 251-161 record with a 3.74 ERA and a 1.259 WHIP over 3,577.1 innings, striking out 3,093 batters – the 18th most in major league history. He won the American League Cy Young award in 2007 and finished sixth in the 2008 NL MVP race despite making just 17 appearances after a mid-season trade to the Brewers as he carried Milwaukee into the postseason.
Sabathia made an immediate impression with the Yankees in 2009. He signed a seven-year, $161 million contract, the largest contract given to a pitcher at that time. Sabathia led the majors with 19 wins in his first season in New York, helping lead the Yankees to the playoffs. He was even better in the postseason, winning the ALCS MVP as he allowed just two runs on nine hits and three walks over 16 innings, striking out 12 as the Yankees won both his appearances.
Sabathia had his struggles with the Yankees, as well. He had to reinvent himself as a control pitcher after his fastball abandoned him. Sabathia battled arthritis in his knee and problems with alcohol. His drinking problem caused him to miss the 2015 postseason as he checked himself into a rehab facility. His potential induction into the Hall of Fame is as much a testament to his resilience as his performance.
Chances are, Cooperstown will be calling Sabathia in 2025. He currently has 91.1% of the vote with 43 known ballots per Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame vote tracker. When that call comes, he will be immortalized as a member of the New York Yankees.
