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CC Sabathia was one of the best pitchers in his era. The New York Yankees ace helped his team win a World Series Title in 2009 and helped them stay competitive in the 2010s. On July 27th, Sabathia will be immortalized in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. However, Sabathia wants to see Gary Sheffield, Andruw Jones, and Kenny Lofton join him.
Sabathia's Hall of Fame class features names like Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner. The 2025 class is one of the more memorable ones in recent memory thanks to how popular its players were during their careers. While the former Yankee is grateful to be heading to the Hall of Fame, Sabathia advocated for Sheffield, Jones, and Lofton to get the nod in 2026.
Related: Greatest Yankees players of all time, ranked
Sabathia told USA Today's Bob Nightengale that Sheffield is “baseball royalty” and deserves his spot in the Hall of Fame. Whether players deserve to be in the Hall of Fame has been a point of conversation recently. Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson were taken off of Major League Baseball's permanently ineligible list, sparking debate on their candidacy.
None of Sabathia's picks have any off-field issues holding them back from the Hall of Fame. He and Sheffield never crossed paths during their careers. However, the latter is a nine-time All-Star and a five-time Silver Slugger. The former Yankees outfielder is eligible to join the Hall of Fame. However, the Contemporary Era Committee determines his fate, according to Nightengale.
Lofton is a six-time All-Star in the same boat as Sheffield. While players from decades ago can still earn their spot, it gets more and more unlikely as time goes on. If Sabathia's wishes are to come true, it needs to happen as soon as possible.
Of his three choices, Jones is the most likely inclusion next season. He has two more years of eligibility for voting. Last year, Jones received 66%, while 75% is required to get in. Sabathia's former teammate is one of the top names that join the line of players hoping to be among the next group to earn a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame next season.
Sheffield was on the Hall of Fame ballot for the maximum 10 seasons and received almost 64% of the vote in his final year on the ballot. Lofton was on the 2013 ballot but only received 3% of the votes, so he fell off the ballot. Players must receive at least 5% of the votes to remain on the ballot the next year.
Both players can still be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Era Committee, which meets in December and then every three years after that.
