The New York Yankees have retired 22 numbers for 23 different players — the No. 8 was retired for catchers Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra. A 23rd number will join those ranks this season.
The Yankees announced on Wednesday that CC Sabathia’s No. 52 will be retired. He will be honored on Sept. 26, with the retirement ceremony and unveiling of Sabathia’s plaque in Monument Park taking place before the Yankees game against the Orioles. The number had been unofficially retired after Sabathia, 45, retired from baseball at the end of the 2019 season, as his number had not been issued.
A 2025 inductee into the Hall of Fame, Sabathia spent 11 years with the Yankees and was a key part of their last World Series title in 2009. He posted a 134-88 record with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.272 WHIP over his 1918 innings in New York, striking out 1,700 batters with 576 walks.
CC Sabathia’s legacy with Yankees goes beyond his stats
Sabathia’s time with the Yankees also had its negative moments. He battled injuries and lost his fastball in the middle of his tenure in New York, leading to Sabathia reinventing himself. He also missed the 2015 postseason after checking himself into rehab for his addiction to alcohol, confronting the disease with the same tenacity he showed on the mound.
His impact went beyond his performance. Sabathia was lauded as a leader in the locker room, someone who helped the Yankees star-studded roster connect into a cohesive unit. The most infamous example of his dedication to the team came in his final start in 2016 when he hit Rays catcher Jesus Sucre with a fastball to begin the bottom of the sixth inning despite being six outs from a $500,000 bonus, answering back for a fastball thrown behind catcher Austin Romine. The Yankees paid his bonus anyway.
Sabathia pitched his way into Yankees lore during his 11 years in the Bronx. He will take his place among the Yankees immortals this season when his No. 52 is retired.