Yankees LHP CC Sabathia became the 48th pitcher in MLB history to reach 250 wins when he helped beat the Tampa Bay Rays 12-1 on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.
Earlier this year, he became the 17th pitcher to record 3,000 strikeouts.
Is he destined for Cooperstown? His teammates think so.
"His career is a Hall of Fame career," said catcher Gary Sanchez, who has caught Sabathia 44 times. "The 250 wins represent that, the 3,000 strikeouts that he has. A great career overall."
Added manager Aaron Boone: "I think he's a lock. This is it for him. I think in five years, they come calling."
Sabathia, who had been stuck at 249 wins since May 22, had lost three straight decisions before Wednesday's game, when the Yankees raced out to a 6-0 lead, giving the 38-year-old significant breathing room.
Facing the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who allowed six runs in 1/3 of an inning, Sabathia struck out seven batters and gave up one run and three hits in six innings.
Amid the Cooperstown talk, Sabathia was more reflective.
As ESPN's Coley Harvey notes, only three other left-handed pitchers have had 250 wins and 3,000 strikeouts: Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson, both enshrined in the Hall. Only two other African-American pitchers have reached both milestones as well: Bob Gibson and Ferguson Jenkins.
"It's crazy to put my name up there with some of those guys that I idolized, some of those names that are enshrined in baseball history," Sabathia said. "To be a part of that, it's a big deal. It's fun to have those numbers."
There have been 13 other pitchers who have eclipsed both 250 wins and 3,000 strikeouts, and the only one not in Cooperstown is Roger Clemens.
"Just to have somebody mention your career as being a Hall of Fame career means a lot," Sabathia said. "I've been blessed to have played with some great teams, been around some great organizations and great players. A lot of it just rubbed off."
Sabathia has said 2019 will be his last season in the majors. Despite starting the year on the injured list to recover from an offseason heart procedure and also returning to the IL due to knee inflammation in late May, he is 4-4 with a 4.14 ERA in 12 starts with the Yankees this season.
But he still has another goal: a second World Series title.
"We're going to keep going," Sabathia said.