A year after being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as a first-ballot selection, CC Sabathia is having his number retired and a plaque added to Monument Park, the New York Yankees announced Wednesday. The ceremony, which will take place on Sept. 26, will see Sabathia’s No. 52 decommissioned.
Sabathia will be the 24th Yankee (player or manager) to have their number retired, and the first since Paul O’Neill in 2022. Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera are the other Yankees from the 2009 World Series championship team to have had their numbers retired.
From the first number that hung in my locker to 52 forever hanging in Monument Park – this HOF journey has come full circle. To have my number retired by the New York Yankees this year is one of the greatest honors of my life. The LegaCCy continues. pic.twitter.com/EwmLFEMhW4
— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) February 25, 2026
Signed as a free agent ahead of the 2009 campaign, Sabathia went on to pitch 11 seasons for the Yankees, compiling a 134-88 record over 307 games (306 starts), good enough for a 3.81 ERA. He made three AL All-Star teams and finished as high as third in Cy Young Award balloting (2010) as a Yankee.
His biggest contribution, however, came during New York’s 2009 postseason run. Sabathia cemented himself into Yankees lore with a 1.98 ERA over five games (three series) and 36 1/3 innings pitched, and was the American League Championship Series MVP.
For his career, which included time in Milwaukee and Cleveland, where he won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, Sabathia went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA, amassing 3,093 strikeouts in the process. He is one of only four left-handers to surpass 3,000 strikeouts, alongside Randy Johnson, Clayton Kershaw and Steve Carlton.
“CC was an incredible competitor, teammate and leader who embodied the heart and soul of our team and this city,” Aaron Judge said in a statement when Sabathia was elected to the Hall of Fame. “As a leader, CC led by example, demonstrating courage, resilience and integrity in the face of adversity — literally leaving it all out on the field. As a teammate, CC was the ultimate glue that held us together, celebrating our successes and supporting us through our challenges. His legacy extends far beyond his accomplishments, as he’s left an indelible mark on the lives of everyone who got the opportunity to share the field with him.”
Since retiring at the end of the 2019 season, Sabathia has served as a special assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred. In 2024, the Cleveland Guardians elected Sabathia to their Hall of Fame and dedicated a youth baseball field in his honor.