Does CC Sabathia have anything left?

CC Sabathia‘s career has been commendable by any measure. The enormous lefty has won 208 games, posted a 3.63 ERA and racked up 2,437 strikeouts during his 14-year run. He entered stardom with the Cleveland Indians, briefly shined with the Milwaukee Brewers and won a World Series title with the New York Yankees.

Nowadays, however, Sabathia’s simply fading away. At 34-years-old with declining velocity and constant injuries, the Bay Area native looks uncharacteristically out of sorts. In 2013, Sabathia managed to pitch 211 frames. His ERA was 4.78 though and he coughed up 28 home runs. During an injury-derailed 2014 season, the southpaw displayed a 5.28 ERA in his 46 innings pitched. This drop in effectiveness and consumption by health issues point to deterioration.

For the purposes of this article though, the prospects of Sabathia’s comeback or ability to recreate past magic will be entertained. According to FanGraphs, Sabathia’s still shown the strength to keep his fastball in the low-90s range. It dipped to an 88.8 mph average in 2014, but that was likely due to pitching through injuries. In 2012 and 2013, Sabathia’s heater speed averaged at 92.3 mph and 91.1 mph. With location, that’s plenty fast enough for an imposing physical figure of Sabathia’s likeness.

His slider speed and usage have been close to the same since 2006. His changeup rate has been fairly consistent throughout the length of his career. A slow cutter appeared in 2014 and probably shouldn’t return for 2015, while his curveball has gone from a mildly used possibility to an entry into the realm of nonexistence. In terms of velocity and pitch selections, Sabathia’s had a distinct identity since his Cleveland days. Predominant fastball pitcher with a slider and changeup commonly mixed in.

With FanGraphs’ splits of the Yankees’ lefty, we see the primary issue. As mentioned earlier, 2014 is largely invalid as a result of injuries, so let’s first look to 2013 as an indicator. Sabathia allowed just five home runs to lefties that year. Acceptable, right? Definitely so in comparison to 23 bombs given up to righties. In 160 innings pitched against righties, Sabathia was shelled for 177 hits. Over the last two seasons, Sabathia’s two major problems have been an inability to oppose right-handers and an intimate relationship with the DL. The 34-year-old needs to remedy the first and pray against the second.

Back in 2012, Sabathia’s last productive season as shown by a 3.38 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 200 innings pitched, he handled both sides of the plate. Lefties hit .227 against him and righties batted .239. Righties may have taken him deep 16 times, but they only reached base at a .291 rate and slugged .374. Sabathia threw his cheese around 92 mph this season. With this collection of information, we see that Sabathia succeeded against all types of hitters in spite of a decreasing fastball. This still points toward deterioration, but also leads in the direction of optimism for the near future.

Without doubt, the biggest mystery in Sabathia’s career is that 2013 season. Was that an unexpected anomaly or the first revelation of his decline? Forgettable poor showing or reason to assume he’s done? Before that year, he basically had 12 straight seasons that ranged from good to superb. Even in his higher ERA years, he won games and ate innings. Nothing was statistically dismal or worrisome until 2012. Then 2013 came and was too small of an injurious sample size to determine the truth of that enticingly dreadful season the year prior.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

The same FanGraphs link cited earlier projects Sabathia to have a fairly favorable 2015 season: 12-11, 3.93 ERA, 192 innings pitched over 30 starts and 22 homers allowed. Nothing special or Cy Young worthy, but impressive enough to establish Sabathia’s worth and suggest he has something left in the tank. Advanced metrics contend Sabathia can return in an acceptable capacity. The eye test states the same. Maybe 2014 wasn’t a full anomaly, but perhaps it was inflated. Then 2014 was Sabathia pushing himself too hard and eventually becoming eradicated by injuries.

In hopes of ending a two-year playoff drought, a measure of time that surely feels disturbingly long for a franchise of such prestige, New York needs its giant lefty to contribute. His fastball has just enough life within it to keep batters honest. The slider and changeup haven’t suffered enough to be inconsequential. He’s also experienced enough to partially skate by on wit and intelligence. With three pitches, a massive frame and tons of rest, Sabathia should be prepared for next season’s run. As a fan of the game, here’s to hoping it’s a good one and not his last.