CC Sabathia

American left-handed pitcher who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and 2009 World Series with the Yankees, recording 3,093 career strikeouts over 19 seasons.

Born in Vallejo, California, Carsten Charles Sabathia Jr. grew up in a baseball family and developed into a standout pitcher at Vallejo High School. The Cleveland Indians selected him 20th overall in the 1998 MLB Draft, making him one of the youngest players in professional baseball when he debuted with Cleveland in 2001 at age 20. Sabathia established himself as one of baseball's premier left-handed pitchers during his Cleveland years, combining a mid-90s fastball with a devastating slider and changeup. His breakout season came in 2007 when he dominated American League hitters, posting a 19-7 record with a 3.21 ERA and 209 strikeouts to capture the AL Cy Young Award. The following year, Cleveland traded him to Milwaukee mid-season, where he delivered one of the most memorable individual performances in recent baseball history, going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA down the stretch to carry the Brewers to their first playoff appearance in 26 years. The New York Yankees signed Sabathia to a seven-year contract before the 2009 season, making him their highest-paid pitcher. He immediately justified the investment by anchoring their World Series championship rotation, posting 19 regular-season wins and crucial playoff victories. Throughout his Yankees tenure, Sabathia consistently delivered 200-plus innings per season while serving as the staff ace. He reached several significant milestones, including 3,000 career strikeouts and became the winningest left-handed pitcher in Yankees history. Sabathia's impact extended beyond statistics through his leadership and durability in an era of pitch counts and specialized roles. His willingness to pitch deep into games and take the ball every fifth day made him invaluable to his teams' success. A six-time All-Star who finished his 19-year career with 251 wins and over 3,000 strikeouts, Sabathia represented the archetypal workhorse starter whose combination of talent, competitiveness, and professionalism earned widespread respect throughout baseball. His career bridged different eras of the game while maintaining consistently elite performance across multiple franchises.

Power pitcher with excellent fastball and slider combination

One of the most successful left-handed pitchers of his era

• World Series Champion (2009)
• AL Cy Young Award (2007)
• ALCS MVP (2009)