Carsten Charles Sabathia Jr. ( sə-BA-thee-uh; born July 21, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Yankees. Sabathia batted and threw left-handed.
Sabathia made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians in 2001 and placed second in the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award voting, behind the year's AL Most Valuable Player, Ichiro Suzuki. Sabathia played the first seven and a half seasons of his career with the Indians, with whom he won the 2007 Cy Young Award. He led the Indians to the 2007 AL Central Division title and their first postseason berth since his rookie year. Following a trade, Sabathia played the second half of the 2008 season with the Milwaukee Brewers, helping them make the playoffs for the first time in 26 years.
In the 2008 offseason, Sabathia signed a seven-year, $161 million contract with the New York Yankees; at the time, it was the largest contract ever signed by a pitcher. With the Yankees, Sabathia led all of MLB in wins in both 2009 and 2010 and won a World Series championship in 2009. He was also voted the 2009 AL Championship Series Most Valuable Player. After mid-career struggles attributed to lost fastball velocity, chronic knee injuries, and alcoholism, Sabathia again found success in the late 2010s after reinventing himself as a control pitcher before retiring after the 2019 season.
During his career, Sabathia was named an All-Star six times and won the Warren Spahn Award three times in a row (2007–2009). In August 2017, Sabathia became the all-time AL leader in strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher. On April 30, 2019, he became the seventeenth pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000 career strikeouts. When he retired following the end of the 2019 season, he led all active Major League players in career wins, career innings pitched, and career strikeouts. With 251 career victories, Sabathia is tied with Bob Gibson for the second-most wins by a Black pitcher in major league history (behind Ferguson Jenkins); he was the first pitcher to debut in the 21st century and post at least 250 career wins in regular-season play. In 2025, Sabathia was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Contents
Early life
Sabathia was born in Vallejo, California and attended Vallejo High School, where he excelled in baseball, basketball, and football. As a teenager, Sabathia played summer baseball in the Major League Baseball youth program, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI). In baseball, he compiled a win–loss record of 6–0 with an 0.77 earned run average (ERA) and 82 strikeouts in 45+2⁄3 innings pitched during his senior season. He was the top high school prospect in Northern California according to Baseball America. In football, he was an all-conference tight end. He received scholarship offers to play college football, including one from the University of California, Los Angeles; he signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and to play baseball and football for the Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors. Sabathia graduated from Vallejo High School in 1998 and went directly from high school to minor league baseball.
Professional career
Draft and minors
The Cleveland Indians selected Sabathia in the first round, with the 20th overall selection, of the 1998 MLB draft. He signed for a $1.3 million signing bonus and pitched in the Indians' minor league system for three seasons.
In 2000, Sabathia was selected for the 28-man United States Olympic Team roster. He appeared in one pre-Olympic tournament game in Sydney, Australia, but was not on the official 24-man, Gold Medal-winning roster because he was called up by the Cleveland Indians. He was named the Indians' 2000 Minor League Player of the Year (receiving the "Lou Boudreau Award").
Cleveland Indians (2001–2008)
In 2001, at age 20, Sabathia began his rookie season as the youngest player in the Major Leagues. He made his major league debut on April 8, 2001 against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing three earned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out three in 5+2⁄3 innings. Sabathia would take a no-decision in Cleveland's 4–3 win. He ended the season with a 17–5 record and a 4.39 ERA in 33 starts, finishing second in the AL voting for Rookie of the Year behind future Yankees teammate Ichiro Suzuki. Sabathia also made his first postseason appearance in 2001, pitching Game 3 of the 2001 American League Division Series against the Seattle Mariners. He earned the win, pitching six innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out five in a 17–2 rout. At 21 years, 85 days of age, Sabathia became the second-youngest pitcher to win a Division Series game, after Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. The Indians went on to lose the series to the Mariners in five games.
On February 23, 2002, Sabathia signed a four-year, $9.5 million contract with the Indians that contained a club option for 2006. For the 2002 season, he finished 13–11 with a 4.37 ERA in 33 starts. Sabathia ranked tenth in the AL in strikeouts, with 149 in 210 innings. In 2003, Sabathia was 13–9 in 30 starts, and had the tenth-best ERA in the AL (3.60). He was also named to the American League All-Star team for the first time. Sabathia made his second All-Star selection in a row as he finished the 2004 season by going 11–10 with a 4.12 ERA in 30 starts, striking out 139 batters in 188 innings.
The Indians picked up Sabathia's $7 million club option for 2006 on April 27, 2005, and he subsequently signed a two-year, $17.75 million deal. In 2005, Sabathia posted a 15–10 record with a 4.03 ERA in 31 starts. He was fourth in the AL in strikeouts/9 IP (7.37), seventh in strikeouts (161) and eighth in wins. He threw the fastest fastball in the AL in 2005, averaging 94.7 miles per hour.
In 2006, Sabathia made 28 starts, going 12–11 with a 3.22 ERA. led the major leagues with six complete games. He also led the AL in shutouts (2) and was third in ERA and eighth in strikeouts (172).
Sabathia "burst onto the national scene" in 2007, "when he won the AL Cy Young after recording a 19–7 record, a 3.21 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, 209 strikeouts, and a major league-leading 241 innings pitched and 5.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio". He collected his 1,000th career strikeout on May 21, 2007, fanning the player who beat him out for Rookie of the Year honors: Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners. He was also named to the American League All-Star team for the third time. On September 28, he became the youngest pitcher to record 100 career wins since Greg Maddux in 1993. On October 23, Sabathia won the Players Choice Award for Outstanding AL Pitcher. His pitching performance led Cleveland to its first American League Central Division Championship since 2001, his rookie season. For his performance, he won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award, joining Gaylord Perry as one of only two Cleveland Indians pitchers to ever win it. (Cliff Lee, Corey Kluber, and Shane Bieber have since also won, with Kluber winning twice.) Sabathia also won the Warren Spahn Award given to the best left-handed pitcher in the Majors. Despite his strong regular season, Sabathia did not perform well against the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. In two starts, he went 0–2 with a 10.45 ERA.
Milwaukee Brewers (2008)
On July 7, 2008, Cleveland traded Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers for Matt LaPorta, Zach Jackson, Rob Bryson, and a player to be named later. In October, future All-Star Michael Brantley was added as the final piece of the trade; unusually, under the trade provisions the Indians were able to select the player themselves because the Brewers went on to make the playoffs. Sabathia recalled in Till The End, his 2021 memoir, that an unexpected positive of the trade was being put on a roster with multiple other Black athletes. "To be Black in America is to constantly be on guard ... With the Brewers, for the first time in my baseball life, I could be more at ease." During his first Brewers press conference, Sabathia told the assembled members of the media that he would prefer his name to be spelled "CC" rather than "C. C."
On September 28, 2008, Sabathia pitched a complete-game four-hitter against the Cubs in the final game of the regular season; the Brewers won, 3–1, and clinching the wild card when the New York Mets lost later that evening. The team's 2008 postseason appearance was its first since 1982. Sabathia started Game 2 of the 2008 NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies; it was his fourth consecutive start in which he pitched on three days' rest. Sabathia surrendered five runs in 32⁄3 innings, walking pitcher Brett Myers and giving up a grand slam to Shane Victorino. The Phillies would go on to win the World Series. Teammate Mike Cameron later opined that Sabathia had taken on so much work that season that he "had nothing left" for the playoff game.
For the season, Sabathia was 17–10 overall with a 2.70 ERA in 35 starts and struck out 251 batters in a major-league leading 253 innings, posting 10 complete games (five shutouts). Sabathia was sixth in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP award. Sabathia was particularly dominant during his tenure with Milwaukee, going 11–2 across 17 starts with a 1.65 ERA and a 1.003 WHIP, striking out 128 batters against just 25 walks in 130+2⁄3 innings, and throwing seven complete games (three shutouts). Despite only spending half the season in the National League, he finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting and sixth in the NL MVP vote (finishing as the highest-ranking pitcher). He was also awarded the Warren Spahn Award for the second year in a row. A 2025 ESPN retrospective cited Sabathia's performance and its impact on the Brewers' franchise in ranking him the best trade deadline acquisition of all time.
New York Yankees (2009–2019)
On December 18, 2008, Sabathia signed a seven-year, $161 million contract with the New York Yankees. It was the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history at the time. On March 26, 2009, manager Joe Girardi announced that Sabathia would be the Opening Day starter and the starter for the home opener at the new Yankee Stadium. Sabathia finished the season 19–8 with a 3.37 ERA (the fourth-best in the American League) and 1.15 WHIP across 34 starts. He struck out 197 batters in 230 innings against 67 walks, gave up 197 hits and just 18 home runs, held opponents to a .232 batting average, and threw two complete games (one shutout). His 19 wins were tied for the most in the major leagues that year alongside Félix Hernández, Justin Verlander, and Adam Wainwright. He was also awarded the August 2009 AL Pitcher of the Month Award, posting a 5–0 record in six starts with a 2.64 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 44+1⁄3 innings. Sabathia was particularly dominant after the All-Star break, going 11–2 in 15 starts, striking out 102 batters in 101+2⁄3 innings and posting a 2.74 ERA. The Yankees finished the regular season with a 103–59 record, the best in the Major Leagues.
Sabathia earned his first career postseason victory with the Yankees in the first game of the 2009 ALDS against the Minnesota Twins. He gave up two runs (one earned) in 6+2⁄3 innings with eight strikeouts as the Yankees swept the series in three games, their first postseason series win since 2004. Sabathia also won the American League Championship Series (ALCS) Most Valuable Player Award; in two starts against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, he went 2–0 with a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings, throwing eight innings of one-run ball in both of his starts. The Yankees beat the Angels in six games to advance to their first World Series since 2003.
Despite failing to pick up a win in either of his World Series starts, Sabathia was effective, posting a 3.29 ERA in 13+2⁄3 innings to help lead the Yankees to a series win over the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies in six games. The World Series championship was the Yankees' 27th, their first in the new Yankee Stadium, their first since 2000, and the first of Sabathia's career. In five postseason starts, Sabathia went 3–1 with a 1.98 ERA in 36+1⁄3 innings. Sabathia finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting behind Zack Greinke, Hernández, and Justin Verlander and 21st in the MVP voting (being one of six Yankees players to receive MVP votes). He also received the Warren Spahn Award for the third year in a row, becoming the first Yankees pitcher to win it since Andy Pettitte in 2003.
Post-playing career
On April 6, 2022, Sabathia was hired by Major League Baseball to serve as a special assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred. In the 2025 ballot the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Sabathia was inducted in his first year of eligibility. Later that year, on July 27, Sabathia was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony at Cooperstown, New York.
On February 25, 2026, the Yankees announced they would retire Sabathia's No. 52 jersey and dedicate a plaque in Monument Park in his honor on September 26 of that year.
Awards and highlights
6× All-Star selection (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010–2012)
World Series champion (2009)
ALCS MVP (2009)
AL Cy Young Award (2007)
3x Warren Spahn Award recipient (2007–2009)
2× MLB wins leader (2009, 2010)
2× AL shutouts leader (2006, 2008)
NL shutouts leader (2008)
3,000 strikeout club
Player profile
In August 2017, Sabathia became the all-time American League leader in strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher. At the time of his retirement following the 2019 season, he led all active Major League players in career wins, career innings pitched and career strikeouts. During his peak from 2005 to 2012, Sabathia was the winningest pitcher in major league baseball. He posted a cumulative record of 137–67 (.672) with a 3.24 ERA (including five straight seasons of 17+ wins from 2007 to 2011), threw 1,788+1⁄3 innings and struck out 1,614 batters (averaging more than 220 innings pitched and 200 strikeouts per season), started 257 games and posted 173 quality starts, finished in the top five of the Cy Young voting five times, received four All Star berths, and recorded a 3.26 FIP, 135 ERA+, 40.8 bWAR, and 43.6 fWAR. Sabathia was one of the most dominant pitchers in the vicennial (twenty year) period of 2000 to 2020; posting more wins, games started, innings pitched, and strikeouts than any other major league pitcher during that time period.
Although he pitched and batted left-handed, Sabathia is actually right-handed. He said that he started throwing a ball with his left hand at the age of two with the help and advice of his father.
As a hitter, Sabathia acquired 25 hits in 121 at-bats (127 plate appearances) for a .207 batting average. On June 21, 2008, Sabathia hit a 440-foot home run off of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park. On July 13, 2008, in his second game with the Brewers, Sabathia hit his second home run of the season off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey, becoming the third pitcher in history to homer in both leagues in the same season and the first since Earl Wilson did it in 1970 with Detroit and San Diego.
Sabathia's reputation of pitching a high number of effective innings each season led to sports broadcasters often referring to him as a workhorse; discounting his injury-shortened 2014 campaign Sabathia averaged over 200 innings a season in his career (he reached the benchmark eight times, including seven consecutive seasons of at least 200 innings pitched from 2007 to 2013).
Personal life
Sabathia and his wife, Amber, have four children: a son Carsten Charles III (born 2003), a daughter (born 2005), a second daughter, (born 2008), and a second son, (born 2010). The family lived in Fairfield, California outside his hometown of Vallejo near San Francisco until he signed with the Yankees. Then the family moved to Alpine, New Jersey. Nevertheless, Sabathia remains connected to his hometown. In January 2012, Vallejo High School honored Sabathia by declaring "CC Sabathia Day" and renaming the school's baseball field in his honor; Sabathia's PitCCh In Foundation had helped to renovate the field. The PitCCh In Foundation is a charity that supports inner city children. In 2014, the foundation supported a team of runners in the 2014 New York City Marathon.
On October 5, 2015, Sabathia announced that he was checking himself into Silver Hill Hospital, an alcohol treatment center. During the previous weekend, Sabathia had been binge drinking in the hotel while the Yankees were on the road in Baltimore; he had also been drinking in the clubhouse after a game that had been cancelled due to rain. "'I love baseball and I love my teammates like brothers,' said Sabathia in a statement, 'and I am also fully aware that I am leaving at a time when we should all be coming together for one last push toward the World Series. It hurts me deeply to do this now, but I owe it to myself and to my family to get myself right. I want to take control of my disease, and I want to be a better man, father and player.'" In March 2016, Sabathia opened up about his battle with alcoholism in an essay for The Players' Tribune.
In July 2017, Sabathia started the R2C2 podcast with co-host Ryan Ruocco as part of The Players' Tribune. In May 2018, the podcast moved to the UNINTERRUPTED podcast network.
In December 2018, after developing shortness of breath and other symptoms, Sabathia underwent a cardiac catheterization and was found to have a blockage of a coronary artery. A stent was placed to open the blockage. After his heart scare, Sabathia undertook a major exercise and diet program, losing 60 pounds (27 kg) from his peak weight.
In 2021, Sabathia's original team, the Cleveland Indians, dedicated a Cleveland baseball field in his honor, named "CC Sabathia Field at Luke Easter Park" (Easter himself also being a former Indian).