CC Sabathia was a team leader through and through, delivering New York a championship to go along with a stellar and decorated career. Already selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Sabathia will now receive another prestigious honor from the team he will represent in Cooperstown. The New York Yankees announced that Sabathia will join the franchise’s all-time greats with a permanent place in Monument Park.
The Yankees revealed that Sabathia’s No. 52 will officially be retired, with a plaque dedicated in his honor prior to the team’s September 26 game against the Baltimore Orioles. Sabathia shared his excitement on social media, reflecting on the moment and what it means to his career.
“From the first number that hung in my locker to 52 forever hanging in Monument Park — this HOF journey has come full circle,” Sabathia wrote. “To have my number retired by the New York Yankees this year is one of the greatest honors of my life. The LegaCCy continues.”
Sabathia will become the 24th player in Yankees history to have his number retired, and the first since Paul O’Neill received the honor in 2022. During his 11-year tenure in pinstripes, Sabathia established himself as one of the most dominant pitchers in franchise history and a cornerstone of the Yankees’ success.
In his first season with New York, Sabathia helped lead the team to a World Series championship and earned American League Championship Series MVP honors. He went on to lead the American League in wins in back-to-back seasons in 2009 and 2010, was selected to three All-Star Games, and reached the historic 3,000-strikeout milestone in 2019. Overall, he totaled 134 wins and more than 1,700 strikeouts as a Yankee.
Capping off his remarkable career, Sabathia was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, further solidifying his legacy as one of the game’s great competitors and leaders.