Yankees’ Fan Favorite Enters Baseball Hall of Fame Balloting

This former Yankee ace has been selected to this year’s Hall of Fame ballot.

Oct 14, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees former pitcher CC Sabathia throws the ceremonial first pitch before game one of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

On Monday, one of the most popular pitchers in New York Yankees history took a step toward being immortalized at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

CC Sabathia, the Yankees' workhorse ace for more than a decade, is making his Hall of Fame ballot debut. This year’s class has a distinct Yankees flavor to it, due to being headlined by Sabathia and another former Yankee, Ichiro Suzuki. Earlier this season, Sabathia was inducted into the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame, the team that drafted him in the first round of the 1998 MLB Amateur Draft.

Sabathia was an imposing figure on the mound, flashing a vast repertoire of pitches that included a sizzling fast ball and a vicious slider. He broke onto the scene in Cleveland in 2001 at the age of 20, posting a 17-5 record and finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting to his ballot-mate Ichiro.

In 2009, Sabathia signed a massive seven-year contract with the Yankees that paid immediate dividends. In his first season with the team, he compiled a 19-8 record in 34 starts, a 3.37 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, while striking out 197 batters and walking just 67. More importantly, Sabathia led the Yankees to their 27th World Series championship, recording a sparkling 1.98 ERA across his five playoff starts while claiming ALCS MVP honors.

In all, Sabathia would pitch the final eleven seasons of his career donning the pinstripes, posting 134 wins and a 3.98 ERA. His final season with the team in 2019 saw him record his 250th career win and 3000th strikeout, joining Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson as the only left-handed pitchers in history to reach those marks. His career WAR of 62.3 is the highest of this year’s first-time candidates.

Along with Sabathia, a number of other Yankees are eligible to be inducted this year. Aside from Ichiro, former Yankee catchers Brian McCann and Russell Martin are on the ballot for the first time; popular outfielder Curtis Granderson, who twice hit 40 home runs in pinstripes, is also on the ballot.

The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame Class will be announced in January 2025, while induction weekend is scheduled for July 25th-28th, 2025.