Former Yankees star pitcher badly wants to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame

C.C. Sabathia went from an elite talent to a championship ace after joining the New York Yankees in 2009. His illustrious career is deserving of Hall of Fame consideration, but for Sabathia, his desire burns especially hot for a spot in Cooperstown.

Yankees: C.C. Sabathia is on the edge of his seat as his 2025 HOF ballot debut approaches

According to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale, Sabathia recently spoke on how badly he wants to be in the Hall of Fame and what a nod would mean to him, saying:

“That was the first time I really, really, really thought about it. I was like, ‘Damn, I really want to be in the Hall of Fame.’ I never thought about being in the Hall of Fame when I was playing. But going up there, it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, this is cool,'” Sabathia said. 

Sabathia’s yearning is warranted. The six-time All-Star earned a 251-161 career win-loss record, fueled by a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts. He pitched a career-high 241 innings in his 2007 AL Cy Young award-winning season with the Cleveland Indians. With that came a then-career-best 209 strikeouts along with a 5.65 strikeouts-to-walks ratio that led all American League pitchers that year.

Sabathia’s career evolved once he joined the Yankees

Once in Pinstripes, Sabathia took advantage of his talented supporting cast. He led the Majors in wins in 2009 en route to a World Series win and followed that up with another wins title in 2010.

Sabathia’s full body of work is as plentiful as the boxes of Cap’n Crunch he’d down in one sitting throughout his career. Digesting his achievements in retrospect, Sabathia rightfully envisions his bust being immortalized.

Sabathia will represent the Yankees when he debuts on the 2025 Hall of Fame ballot alongside superstar contemporaries Ichiro Suzuki, Dustin Pedroia, and Felix Hernandez. He will need 75 percent of the votes to be elected.