Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia suited up for the Yankees last week as special spring coaches.
I bring this up, believe it or not, to discuss the Hall of Fame and ultimately Gerrit Cole’s trajectory to Cooperstown.
Pettitte and Sabathia’s career statistics are surprisingly similar. If you just want a snapshot: Pettitte played in 531 games (521 starts) during the regular season, posting a record of 60.2+ wins (Baseball Reference), 256 wins, 153 losses, and a 116+ ERA. Sabathia played 561 games (560 starts) with a WAR of 61.8, 251 wins and 161 losses, and an ERA of over 117.
Pettit has been on the ballot for six years and has never received more than 17% of the vote. Sabathia will join the writers’ ballot next offseason. Pettit’s presence in the Mitchell Report clearly had a negative impact on his candidacy. But there’s also this: During Pettitte’s career, he was treated like a No. 2 starter in terms of salary and stature. Sabathia was treated like an ace. As a left-hander, his two numbers may have ended up being the same, but if you add 6 and 6 or 3 and 9, for example, you get 12. The results do not describe the road.
