CC Sabathia

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #1 prospect in 2001
  It would be difficult for any player to have a wider range of experience than did Sabathia during the 2000 season. In addition to pitching in high Class A and Double-A, Sabathia also was selected to the Eastern League all-star team; participated in the Futures Game; pitched in the Hall of Fame game at Cooperstown; and finished the season with the big league club in September, though he never was formally activated. Sabathia also was among the finalists for the U.S. Olympic team, but the Indians balked at letting him be used as a reliever, so he didn't make the final cut. Through it all, the mature beyond his years Sabathia handled the spotlight gracefully, as he continued his freight-train ascent through the minors. His biggest accomplishment was pitching a career-high 146 innings without incident, putting to rest any doubts raised by missing the first 21⁄2 months of 1999 with a bone bruise in his elbow. Sabathia is the whole package--and a gigantic one at that. He has a tremendous fastball that consistently sits at 97-98 mph, a good changeup, terrific feel for pitching and off-the-charts makeup. He's intelligent and coachable, a ferocious competitor, and at 6-foot-7 and upward of 260 pounds he can be an intimidating presence on the mound. He's strong with durable mechanics. That he's a lefthander and only 20 is icing on the cake. He has a chance to be a dominant No. 1 starter at the big league level, the most overpowering lefty the organization has produced since Sam McDowell. Sabathia has no glaring flaws. He needs to continue to refine his breaking ball and changeup, and his body is always going to be a concern. He will have to work hard throughout his career to keep himself in top shape in order to avoid injuries. Beyond that, he could use a little more experience. Though he has yet to pitch above Double-A, Sabathia will get a chance to win a spot in the major league rotation in the spring, as the Indians could have multiple openings. Sabathia would benefit from at least a half-season at Triple-A Buffalo, but team officials are going to let his talent dictate where he starts 2001.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #1 prospect in 2000
  It’s difficult for Indians officials to decide what they like best about Sabathia: his youth, his size, his arm, or that he’s a lefthander. All of those factors combine to make Sabathia perhaps the only untouchable player in the minor league system of a team unafraid to package prospects in trades for veteran help in the big leagues. After getting a late start in 1999 due to a bone bruise in his elbow, Sabathia began galloping up the ladder, pitching at three levels while holding opposing batters to a .198 average. In two years as a pro Sabathia has averaged 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings. In high school, he was a star end on offense and defense and turned down football scholarship offers from several Division I programs, including UCLA. Sabathia is that rarest of commodities: a lefthanded power pitcher. At 18, he already was throwing nearly 100 mph. Sabathia has a great feel for pitching for one so young. He has a nice knack for changing speeds, working off a plus fastball. And despite a somewhat soft body, he is extremely athletic. He made the most of his late start to the 1999 season. While recovering from his bruised elbow, he refined his mechanics and did extra work on the field and in front of the mirror. Sabathia doesn’t exactly have a classic pitcher’s body, and because of his body type it will be critical to his success that he works hard to stay in shape. Like most young pitchers, he is inconsistent with his breaking ball, and he needs to get a better feel for his changeup. He also needs to get a full season under his belt. A late signee in 1998, he is a third-year professional who has logged just 104 innings. The Future: Still a teenager, Sabathia will begin the 2000 season at Class A Kinston. Indians officials would love to let him get a full season there, but depending on how things develop ahead of him, he may be pushed through the system in much the same way that the club pushed another high school pitcher taken in the first round, Jaret Wright.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #2 prospect in 1999
  Sabathia is the first lefthander selected by the Indians in the first round since Greg Swindell in 1986. At the time of the draft there was some question about his weight and, consequently, his makeup, but the Indians never hesitated and couldn't be happier with the choice. Prolonged negotiations limited Sabathia to five starts at Rookie-level Burlington. Tremendous size, strength and athleticism. His upside is as big as (No. 1 prospect) Russell Branyan's. Sabathia can hit 97 mph--and that's with unrefined mechanics. He has a plus curve and changeup, and a feel for both. Sabathia's body is still a concern. He's going to have to work hard to maintain a good playing weight that will allow him to fully realize his potential. He also needs work on his mechanics, which are inconsistent. Sabathia is ticketed for the rotation at low Class A Columbus in 1999. He is being put on the same fast track Jaret Wright rode to Cleveland.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Eastern League #2 prospect in 2000
  Sabathia’s 3-7 record was primarily the result of being kept on tight pitch counts that made it difficult for him to pick up victories. He certainly was impressive enough to be selected for the Futures Game, the Double-A all-star game and the U.S. Olympic team. “He has the potential to be a No. 1 starter in the big leagues,” Akron manager Eric Wedge said. “He has a plus-plus fastball, a plus curveball and a plus changeup.” Sabathia didn’t turn 20 until midseason and pitched more innings at Akron than he did in his first two pro seasons combined. While the Indians continue to list him at 235 pounds, their top prospect is considerably larger. “I’ve never seen anybody like him at 250 pounds, but those are 250 athletic pounds,” Reading manager Gary Varsho said. “I really like his aggressiveness. When he learns how to pitch instead of throw, he’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.”
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #1 prospect in 2000
  As his 6-foot-7, 235-pound body strides off the mound and the ball begins its rapid, short journey toward home plate, Sabathia looks nothing like a 20-year-old. It isn’t so much his towering, intimidating frame that tends to keep opposing batters on edge. It’s his 96 mph fastball and the notion that this kid is only beginning to fulfill his promise as a future big league ace. “He’s got a great chance to be a No. 1, power-pitching starter at the major league level,” Wilmington manager Jeff Garber said. “He’s got an unlimited ceiling.” Sabathia has raised the ceiling during each season of his brief professional career. His invitation to Cleveland’s major league camp last spring was no lark. Neither is his rating as the Indians' top prospect or his invitation to pitch for the U.S. Olympic team. Cleveland recalled Sabathia from Sydney after he failed to make the rotation. For a guy who began the season as a 19-year-old, Sabathia has been everything the Indians envisioned when they made him their first-round pick two summers ago. Recovered from a bone bruise on his left elbow that sidelined him for part of 1999, he improved his mechanics and developed enough control of four pitches to earn a promotion to Double-A. “He’s a pretty intimidating presence on the mound,” his Kinston manager Brad Komminsk said. “We have a lot of hope for him. He’s working on things and getting better. He has the ability to learn stuff and take it right to the mound.”
• 
  Ranked American League #3 prospect in 1998
  Pitch limits held Sabathia to just 18 innings with Burlington, but the hulking lefthander still struck out a whopping 35 batters. He throws uncommonly hard for a lefty and mixes a promising curveball with his plus fastball. Location, especially on the curve, is a problem at times.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #7 prospect in 2001
• Ranked Baseball America's #57 prospect in 2000

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  It’s difficult for Indians officials to decide what they like best about Sabathia: his youth, his size, his arm, or that he’s a lefthander. All of those factors combine to make Sabathia perhaps the only untouchable player in the minor league system of a team unafraid to package prospects in trades for veteran help in the big leagues. After getting a late start in 1999 due to a bone bruise in his elbow, Sabathia began galloping up the ladder, pitching at three levels while holding opposing batters to a .198 average. In two years as a pro Sabathia has averaged 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings. In high school, he was a star end on offense and defense and turned down football scholarship offers from several Division I programs, including UCLA. Sabathia is that rarest of commodities: a lefthanded power pitcher. At 18, he already was throwing nearly 100 mph. Sabathia has a great feel for pitching for one so young. He has a nice knack for changing speeds, working off a plus fastball. And despite a somewhat soft body, he is extremely athletic. He made the most of his late start to the 1999 season. While recovering from his bruised elbow, he refined his mechanics and did extra work on the field and in front of the mirror. Sabathia doesn’t exactly have a classic pitcher’s body, and because of his body type it will be critical to his success that he works hard to stay in shape. Like most young pitchers, he is inconsistent with his breaking ball, and he needs to get a better feel for his changeup. He also needs to get a full season under his belt. A late signee in 1998, he is a third-year professional who has logged just 104 innings. The Future: Still a teenager, Sabathia will begin the 2000 season at Class A Kinston. Indians officials would love to let him get a full season there, but depending on how things develop ahead of him, he may be pushed through the system in much the same way that the club pushed another high school pitcher taken in the first round, Jaret Wright.
• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  As his 6-foot-7, 235-pound body strides off the mound and the ball begins its rapid, short journey toward home plate, Sabathia looks nothing like a 20-year-old. It isn’t so much his towering, intimidating frame that tends to keep opposing batters on edge. It’s his 96 mph fastball and the notion that this kid is only beginning to fulfill his promise as a future big league ace. “He’s got a great chance to be a No. 1, power-pitching starter at the major league level,” Wilmington manager Jeff Garber said. “He’s got an unlimited ceiling.” Sabathia has raised the ceiling during each season of his brief professional career. His invitation to Cleveland’s major league camp last spring was no lark. Neither is his rating as the Indians' top prospect or his invitation to pitch for the U.S. Olympic team. Cleveland recalled Sabathia from Sydney after he failed to make the rotation. For a guy who began the season as a 19-year-old, Sabathia has been everything the Indians envisioned when they made him their first-round pick two summers ago. Recovered from a bone bruise on his left elbow that sidelined him for part of 1999, he improved his mechanics and developed enough control of four pitches to earn a promotion to Double-A. “He’s a pretty intimidating presence on the mound,” his Kinston manager Brad Komminsk said. “We have a lot of hope for him. He’s working on things and getting better. He has the ability to learn stuff and take it right to the mound.”
• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Sabathia’s 3-7 record was primarily the result of being kept on tight pitch counts that made it difficult for him to pick up victories. He certainly was impressive enough to be selected for the Futures Game, the Double-A all-star game and the U.S. Olympic team. “He has the potential to be a No. 1 starter in the big leagues,” Akron manager Eric Wedge said. “He has a plus-plus fastball, a plus curveball and a plus changeup.” Sabathia didn’t turn 20 until midseason and pitched more innings at Akron than he did in his first two pro seasons combined. While the Indians continue to list him at 235 pounds, their top prospect is considerably larger. “I’ve never seen anybody like him at 250 pounds, but those are 250 athletic pounds,” Reading manager Gary Varsho said. “I really like his aggressiveness. When he learns how to pitch instead of throw, he’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.”
• December, 1998 Scouting Report
  Sabathia is the first lefthander selected by the Indians in the first round since Greg Swindell in 1986. At the time of the draft there was some question about his weight and, consequently, his makeup, but the Indians never hesitated and couldn't be happier with the choice. Prolonged negotiations limited Sabathia to five starts at Rookie-level Burlington. Tremendous size, strength and athleticism. His upside is as big as (No. 1 prospect) Russell Branyan's. Sabathia can hit 97 mph--and that's with unrefined mechanics. He has a plus curve and changeup, and a feel for both. Sabathia's body is still a concern. He's going to have to work hard to maintain a good playing weight that will allow him to fully realize his potential. He also needs work on his mechanics, which are inconsistent. Sabathia is ticketed for the rotation at low Class A Columbus in 1999. He is being put on the same fast track Jaret Wright rode to Cleveland.
• December, 1997 Scouting Report
  Pitch limits held Sabathia to just 18 innings with Burlington, but the hulking lefthander still struck out a whopping 35 batters. He throws uncommonly hard for a lefty and mixes a promising curveball with his plus fastball. Location, especially on the curve, is a problem at times.