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New York Yankees: Will CC Sabathia be a first ballot Hall of Famer?

By Kyle Cardoza

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees walks back to the dugout at the end of the first inning against the Boston Red Sox during Game Four American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 09, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees walks back to the dugout at the end of the first inning against the Boston Red Sox during Game Four American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 09, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

The Hall of Fame season is certainly behind baseball fans as Spring Training begins soon. But New York Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia provides an interesting case on whether he will be the next pitcher to acclaim a first-ballot Hall of Fame profile.

New York Yankees fans wholly understood what they would see in the Bronx when the club signed CC Sabathia in 2009.

A hat tipped to the side, an unorthodox wind-up rhythm and an elite pitcher that could lead the organization back to the World Series. And the left-hander delivered in all three aspects.

Sabathia formally announced Saturday that he will retire after the 2019 season, 10 years after the lefty earned his first –  and only – World Series ring. While he will likely not receive the farewell tour Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera had during their final years, it will be one to remember for many New York fans.

However, a trip to Cooperstown would be more memorable than any accolade or feat accomplished during his 19-year career. But question marks will likely shroud his intriguing résumé.

The southpaw will finish the season with several milestones, both personal and historical. He will likely surpass the 250-win mark. Also, if he can accumulate 25 starts this year, he would rank 25th overall in games started in MLB history – that’s if Bartolo Colon doesn’t start 11 games.

Technically, Sabathia can also reach 15th in history in strikeouts, but he will need at least 130 whiffs to get there. His average amount of strikeouts across the past four seasons was about 137. It’s possible.

The 38-year-old also has six All-Star appearances and finished in the top five in the Cy Young race five different years. He received the award in 2007 while in Cleveland.

Like most Hall of Fame pitchers, Sabathia didn’t sport just one jersey his entire career, and he was highly sought after during certain points in his career. The Vallejo, Calif. product has also endured several obstacles throughout his MLB tenure, primarily while in New York.

Yet, he remains the fifth starter for a Yankees club that sits atop the betting boards as World Series favorites. Whether he remains in that role or not surely won’t diminish his career-long achievements.

Sabathia’s glamour numbers don’t illustrate him as a bona fide Hall of Fame inductee. Yet, his story and work ethic provide some evidence of why he may receive enough votes – possibly in his first year on the ballot.

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