CC Sabathia was an ace. You know who screamed this fact loudest? Not me. The sport did. The sport told us what the final numbers didn’t.

While Sabathia was a runaway choice in the Hall of Fame election, selected on 86.8% of the ballots by the Baseball Writers' Association of America – joining peers Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner – this ultimate honor meant much, much more than just a museum plaque in Cooperstown, N.Y.

That was one of the best debut seasons ever. Ichiro was an All-Star and won a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove award in right field. He not only coasted to the Rookie of the Year award but narrowly surpassed Jason Giambi to win the MVP. He joined Fred Lynn as the only rookies to be named the Most Valuable Player.

Lefty pitchers Billy Wagner and CC Sabathia both earned their spots in the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining near-unanimous selection Ichiro

Former Phillies manager Larry Bowa doesn't understand the lack of votes Jimmy Rollins received in the Hall of Fame voting on Tuesday.

The trio of players inducted into Cooperstown in 2025 are a more than deserving group of men, with one spending part of his career with the Philadelphia Phillie

In one of the most incredible runs the franchise had ever seen, the Milwaukee Brewers lost only three of CC Sabathia's 17 regular-season starts after he was acquired in July 2008.

PHILADELPHIA — Once more ... in the Class of 2025 by all-time hit king Ichiro Suzuki and lefty workhorse CC Sabathia, both first-time candidates.

Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Last week, longtime closer Billy Wagner earned election into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His son, Will, plays for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Major League Baseball offseason has held the interest of many fans after multiple big-name players have signed with new teams via free agency or have been involved in trades. While current players prepare for the 2025 season,