Carsten Sabathia III, son of former New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, hit the first home run of his professional baseball career on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. The milestone occurred in his fifth minor league game for the Milwaukee Brewers' Single-A affiliate, the Wilson Warbirds, who were playing the Columbia Fireflies. Sabathia III connected on a 1-2 curveball in the sixth inning, sending it to left field against Kansas City Royals farmhand Darwin Rodriguez. The home run cut the deficit to 6-3, and the Warbirds went on to win the game 9-6.
CC Sabathia, a Hall of Fame inductee and three-time home run hitter during his 19 MLB seasons, was present to witness the event. Warbirds broadcaster Ben Mihailovich described the moment as "super cool," noting CC Sabathia's celebratory reaction. Sabathia III also had a strong offensive performance in the game, going 3-for-4 at the plate.
The 22-year-old Sabathia III was drafted by the Brewers in the 20th round of the MLB Draft earlier in 2026 and signed his professional contract on his father's birthday. He has started his minor league career with a .450 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, and a 1.150 slugging percentage, with one home run and five RBIs in his first five games. University of Houston is where Sabathia III played collegiately.
This achievement follows a significant year for CC Sabathia, which included his enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame the previous summer and induction into the Brewers' Wall of Honor earlier in 2026 for his performance in 2008. The Yankees are also scheduled to retire his No. 52 jersey and add him to Monument Park on Sept. 26.
Sabathia has also taken on roles as a commentator, including for Netflix at the Field of Dreams game. Following his trip to North Carolina to see his son's game, he expressed confidence in Carsten's baseball future, calling it "a blessing."