Six-time MLB All-Star CC Sabathia is on the verge of a significant milestone in his illustrious 19-year career, awaiting the announcement of the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame voting results. As anticipation builds, Sabathia took to social media to express his excitement, posting a series of emojis in response to an MLB video showcasing his final pitch with the New York Yankees.

This year marks the first time Sabathia appears on the Hall of Fame ballot following his retirement after the 2019 season, with his last game being Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros. Current voting trends indicate a strong likelihood of his induction, with Sabathia having received 92.8 percent support among the 198 known ballots and 11 anonymous or unverifiable ballots from Hall of Fame voters. The required threshold for induction is 75 percent, and although the final tallies may have a slight impact on total percentages, it appears improbable for him to receive such a significant drop that would keep him below that threshold.

The upcoming class is expected to include four inductees, with Sabathia currently ranking second in vote counts behind Ichiro, who aims to become only the second player, alongside Mariano Rivera, to be elected to the Hall of Fame unanimously. Other likely candidates for induction include Billy Wagner, who is on the ballot for the last time, and Carlos Beltrán. Sabathia’s potential induction is particularly noteworthy, as there are no legendary starting pitchers imminent for upcoming ballots. Looking ahead to 2026, first-time eligible candidates include Cole Hamels, Rick Porcello, and Gio Gonzalez, while the best returning pitcher next year appears to be Andy Pettitte, who is at 31.6 percent support in his eighth year on the ballot. Zack Greinke may be the next significant candidate after Sabathia, though prominent names like Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Clayton Kershaw are not expected to be on the ballot until they retire. Sabathia's career spanned from 2001 to 2019, primarily with the Yankees from 2009 onwards, where he won a World Series title in his first year. He began his career with the Cleveland Guardians after being selected as the No. 20 pick in the 1998 MLB draft, making his debut in 2001 and finishing second to Ichiro in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. Over the course of his distinguished career, Sabathia captured the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and was named to six All-Star teams while compiling a career record of 251-161, a 3.74 ERA, and 3,093 strikeouts across 561 games. His 66.5 FanGraphs wins above replacement ranks second among pitchers, trailing only Verlander at 72.0. The Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2025 will be announced on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.