Six-time MLB All-Star CC Sabathia is poised for a significant milestone in his illustrious 19-year career, as the Baseball Hall of Fame prepares to announce the voting results for the 2025 induction class. Prior to the announcement, Sabathia expressed his anticipation on social media, responding to a video of his final pitch with the New York Yankees using a series of emojis.

This year marks Sabathia's inaugural appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot, following his retirement after the 2019 season. His last appearance on the mound came in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, where he faced the Houston Astros. Current tracking of the ballots suggests that Sabathia is likely to be inducted, as he is currently receiving 92.8 percent support from the 198 known ballots and 11 anonymous or unverifiable ballots from Hall of Fame voters, easily surpassing the 75 percent voting threshold required for induction. Although the final results generally see a reduction in the percentage votes for candidates, it appears improbable for Sabathia to fall below the necessary threshold.

The 2025 induction class is anticipated to feature four players, with Sabathia's vote total ranking second to Ichiro Suzuki, who has received unanimous support on every public ballot thus far. Ichiro is looking to join Mariano Rivera as the only players elected to the Hall of Fame unanimously. Other probable inductees include Billy Wagner, who is on the ballot for the last time, and Carlos Beltrán. Sabathia's potential induction carries significance as there are no prominent starting pitchers set to appear on the ballot in the near future, with first-time eligible candidates for 2026 including Cole Hamels, Rick Porcello, and Gio Gonzalez. The leading returning pitcher next year is Andy Pettitte, who has garnered 31.6 percent of the public vote during his eighth year on the ballot, making it unlikely for him to reach the 75 percent threshold. Following Sabathia, Zack Greinke, who has not officially retired from MLB, could come next, while the likes of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Clayton Kershaw will also be on the horizon after their careers conclude. Sabathia's career spanned from 2001 to 2019, primarily with the New York Yankees, where he captured a World Series title in 2009. He began his MLB journey with the Cleveland Guardians as the 20th overall pick in the 1998 draft and made his debut in 2001, finishing second to Ichiro for the AL Rookie of the Year award. Over his career, Sabathia secured the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, placed in the top-five in Cy Young voting four additional times, and earned six All-Star selections. He concluded his career with a 251-161 record, a 3.74 ERA, and 3,093 strikeouts across 561 appearances. His 66.5 wins above replacement, as measured by FanGraphs, ranks second among all pitchers, trailing only Justin Verlander. The announcement of the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.