SAN DIEGO – Being the son of a former major league baseball player most definitely comes with some built-in advantages but that doesn’t mean every road is paved with gold or every spoon is of the silver variety.
Regardless of lineage or bloodlines, any young ballplayer who aspires to reach the highest level of play has to put in the work required to meet his lofty goals and a prominent last name can only lift those aspirations so high.
And so it is for intriguing Alpine, N.J., top prospect Carsten Sabathia, who worked hard enough and been impressive enough while performing at more than 15 Perfect Game events and on other stages over the past several years, that he earned an invitation to this year’s PG All-American Classic. The all-star extravaganza will be played late Sunday afternoon at the Padres’ downtown Petco Park.
Is the last name recognizable? Of course it is. Carsten’s father, CC Sabathia, enjoyed a very successful 19-year major league career through his retirement in 2019, and Carsten will be the first to tell you his dad has had a profound impact on his still evolving baseball career. Of that, there’s just no argument.
“I tell everyone that I was raised in baseball; I was around it my whole life,” Carsten Sabathia told PG during a PGAAC practice session at the University of San Diego Friday night. “I got to go to a handful of big league games and be around some of the best to ever play the game.
“I’ve learned a lot and I’ve taken a lot from it, and I’ve gone through some great experiences that are truly unique and rare. I was blessed and lucky to go through those things.”
It hasn’t been a cakewalk by any means and Sabathia, who is just one month shy of his 18th birthday, still has a long row to hoe. He comes into Sunday’s premier high school all-star event as the No. 56-ranked overall prospect (No. 3 as a first baseman) and as a senior at Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, the No. 2 overall prospect in New Jersey.
He’ a big kid at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, although not as big as his dad whose weight would approach 300-pounds even during his playing days. Carsten has broad shoulders and an athletic frame, and projects well while swinging from the right side of the plate. He just looks the part of a strong, young ballplayer and one who carries a 3.7 GPA at Bergren; he articulates his thoughts extremely well.
He is also very much looking forward to being a part of the PG All-American Classic:
“I’ve been watching this event since I was about 10 or 11 years old,” Sabathia said. “Just watching the guys I looked up to at the high school level going into that process of getting into professional ball, getting into college ball.
“The only words I can come up with is it’s an honor. It’s truly an honor to be here and I’m truly excited to get this thing rolling.”
Carsten’s mom and CC’s wife, Amber Sabathia, is very much of an influence as well, working as an agent for CAA Sports. She worked her first MLB Draft at this year’s All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver where Carsten was taking part in the MLB All-American Game. And CC was there, too, participating in the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game.
Carsten, who is legally named Carsten Sabathia III and is known by friends and family as “Lil’ C” had been around All-Star games before but being a part of the festivities made for quite a weekend. It also gave him a taste of what he could expect from his involvement at the PG All-American Classic.
Only a couple of weeks after doing the MLB event at Coors Field, Sabathia found himself in another big league stadium, this time Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., the home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
There was a lot more on the line at the PG National Showcase than there was at the prep all-star game in Denver as Sabathia worked-out in front of scouts in an effort to gain this invitation to the PG All-American Classic. Every top prospect that will be at Petco Park Sunday was also at The Trop July 14-18.
“It’s awesome because I get to build relationships that will last a lifetime,” Sabathia said. “I’ve met some of my best friends here and going through this Perfect Game circuit and going through this travel ball circuit I’ve built some great relationships – I talk to these guys almost daily.
“With most of these guys we kind of have similar lifestyles in terms of wanting to play baseball at a professional level,” he added. “Having that in common really forms a close bond that I’m sure we’re lucky to have.”
And, as has been noted previously during the build-up to this year’s Classic, Sabathia is a member of special fraternity of 2021 PG All-Americans who are blessed to have fathers who enjoyed their own careers in Major League Baseball.
Carsten and his dad CC are joined in that group by Justin Crawford (dad Carl); Jackson Holliday (Matt); Mason McGwire (Mark); Cam Collier (Lou) and Andruw Jones (also Andruw). They do have a lot in common, as is to be expected.
“We were all kind of raised in the game and we all go through similar experiences which are extremely unique (compared to) other people,” Sabathia said. “We have similarities that not a lot of people have and we can bond over those things and talk over those things. … I think that it’s truly awesome that we’re able to do that.”
Sabathia spent three weeks in late June and early July playing with the powerhouse FTB/Philadelphia Phillies Scout Team 17u at the PG 17u Ultimate Baseball Championship, the PG 17u National Elite Championship and the PG WWBA 17u National Championship in West Palm Beach, Fla., Hoover, Ala., and Marietta, Ga., respectively.
He learned a lot about winning while securing a roster spot alongside fellow PG All-Americans Jurrangelo Cijntje (No. 53, Stetson); Andrew Dutkanych (No. 20, Vanderbilt); Elijah Green (No. 1, Miami); Luke Heyman (No. 31, Florida); Andruw Jones (No. 4, Vanderbilt); Luis Rujano (No. 64, Florida) and Tucker Toman (No. 27, LSU).
“It was so much fun because you’re going out there every day and trying to compete at that highest level,” Sabathia said. “This is quote-unquote ‘scout summer’ and you go through those things together. We call it the FTB Family and to be able to be a part of that family and go through that experience with those guys was truly a blessing.”
Carsten Sabathia isn’t alone in carrying the New Jersey flag at the PGAAC either. He’s joined by standout right-hander/middle-infielder Nazier Mule, a Miami (Fla.) commit ranked No. 15 nationally who hails from Patterson.
“Being able to compete and be around a guy like that and kind of represent our state at some of the highest events in the country is truly an honor,” Sabathia said.
Throughout this whole process and with a long way yet to go, the uncommitted Sabathia said his dad’s message to him, based on his own extensive experiences, has been a pretty simple one and straight to the point: “Have fun.” CC tells him that what he is going through is unique and something he’ll never be able to experience again during his lifetime.
“His message to me and a lot of the guys that I’ve been around and are close to truly enjoy it and truly cherish these moments because we’ll never get these back,” Carsten said. “Being able to go through these experiences with other guys that are like-minded as me, I think it’s an honor and a blessing and I’m truly thankful for it.”
Now a corner-infielder and a primary first baseman, Sabathia told PG that when he was much younger he did do a lot of pitching. His dad would tell him repeatedly he should be able to do whatever it takes to help his team to win ballgames whether that was on the mound, in the field or at the plate. Simply put, CC always stressed to Carsten the importance of developing every facet of his game.
As mentioned previously, the PG All-American Classic is firsts and foremost an all-star game, an event where 60 of North America’s top newly minted seniors can relax, let their hair down and have a blast while performing inside a beautiful big-league stadium.
It’s almost guaranteed the weather will be flawless and scouts, family members and fans in general will be able to sit comfortably and watch these big league hopefuls of the future do their thing without the inherent pressures that come with the travel ball or showcase environments. That, however, doesn’t mean there won’t be some thrills and spills.
“The competitive juices are always flowing; that’s why we’re here, we love to compete with the best of the best,” Sabathia said. “But my approach to these three days in total has been to soak up and learn as much as possible. There’s so much information and so many good things that people can help you with …
“If you come in with the mentality that you’re going to soak up as much information as possible, you’ll end up finding yourself where you want to be.”
And it’s not just the half-dozen players’ dads who are bringing that valuable information to the table this weekend. There are others involved who have a wealth of experience at the major league level – as players, coaches and managers – that they are eager to share.
You don’t have to look far, either. The head coach of the West Team is five-time NL All-Star and Diamondbacks 2001 World Series hero Luis Gonzalez. The East Team might even have a bit of an upper hand in that department with 17-year big league manager (8 years Rockies, 9 years Pirates) Clint Hurdle directing the traffic. Tom “Flash” Gordon is another longtime big-leaguer who is a constant presence.
And a kid like Carsten Sabathia, whose father was right there in the trenches too, can certainly appreciate what those guys have to offer.
“It’s so amazing being able to be around guys that have so much knowledge and so much experience in this game at the highest level, it’s truly been an honor,” he said.
Yes, Carsten Sabathia is the son of a very prominent former major league pitcher, a six-time All-Star who also happened to win the 2007 AL Cy Young Award while pitching for Cleveland. CC Sabathia won 251 games with the Indians (8 seasons), Brewers (1) and Yankees (11) in what many will argue was a Hall of Fame career. Carsten just continues to feel blessed that he’s been able to be there for a really big chunk of the ride.
“It’s been so much fun and it’s something that I can’t even put into words,” he said. “It’s been such a long and heartfelt journey but I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I’m looking forward to what the future holds and what I’ll be able to experience.
“My motto since day one is to try to get one percent better every day. If you’re able to take it a day at a time, a step at a time and able to … progress each and every day you’ll find yourself close to where you want to be.”