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Career Timeline: CC Sabathia

1998: 1st-Round Pick

Cleveland drafted Sabathia with the 20th overall pick in the 1998 MLB Draft and he was named the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2000

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April 8, 2001: Debut day

At age 20, Sabathia became the youngest player in MLB. Age was no issue for the lefty. He finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting and won 17 games in his debut year

A stable presence

Sabathia proved to be a constant in the rotation for Cleveland, starting at least 28 games and pitching at least 180 innings in every season with the club

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2007: Cy Young Season

Sabathia dominated in '07, pitching a league-high 241 innings while posting a 3.21 ERA. He also finished the season with MVP votes

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June 21, 2008: Boom

A man of many talents, Sabathia crushed a homer out of Dodger Stadium to help his cause

July 7, 2008: Brew Crew

Cleveland traded Sabathia to Milwaukee, where he dominated. In 130.2 innings, he posted a 1.65 ERA, 128 strikeouts and 7 complete games (3 shutouts)

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Sept. 2008: Ace

Sabathia went nine in a must-win game for Milwaukee, helping the team secure a Wild Card spot

Dec. 2008: Historic contract

Sabathia signed a 7-year, $161 million contract with the Yankees, the largest contract ever for a starting pitcher at the time

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Oct. 2009: ALCS MVP

Sabathia earned ALCS MVP honors after pitching on short rest. He pitched 16 innings in the six-game series against the Angels, allowing only 2 runs. Sabathia and the Yankees went on to win it all in the WS

All-Star Smile

During his 19-year career, Sabathia was named to 6 All-Star teams

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Postseason Hero

The southpaw appeared in 16 postseason series throughout his career, and even pitched a complete game in the ALDS in 2012

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April 30, 2019: 3,000 Club

Sabathia ended his career on a high note, becoming the 17th player to surpass 3,000 strikeouts. He finished his career with 3,093

2024: Full Circle

Cleveland inducted Sabathia into its Hall of Fame, immortalizing the southpaw in its storied history

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Jan. 21, 2025: HOF

Sabathia received the call of a lifetime, congratulating him on his HOF election. The southpaw entered on his 1st time on the ballot, and will go in with a Yankees hat