MLB Legend CC Sabathia Shares an Interesting Take On His Weight During His Playing Career

A top-ranked pitcher during his playing days, CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees was a force to reckon with from the mound. Sabathia was also one of those players with an overwhelming presence on the field due to his big physique. His 6-foot-7 height and close to 300 lbs weight played a big part in this. Though, given that athletes are bound to have better fitness, it was not true for the 2009 World Series winner.

The Ex-Yankees pitcher has now switched to a healthier lifestyle after retiring, but could not maintain the same during his playing career for one simple but critical reason. Recently focusing on the same during a talk show, Sabathia shared the answer behind his high weight.

CC Sabathia equates more weight with better pitching

Sabathia, who debuted weighing less, increased his weight in the latter years of his career. Recently during a podcast, he shared the true reason behind his weight and how it made him a better pitcher. When asked about the weight when he was playing as a pitcher, Sabathia answered, “Man, when I was, I was the offensive tackle, bro. I was 300.”

When Pat McAfee, who hosted the podcast, asked Sabathia what made him think he needed to be that big to throw, he explained, ” I did. The one year, it was like 2013. I got down to like 265. I was feeling good. Like, came to spring training. I was throwing like 83. Damn, it was just like I got back to 290 before spring training.”

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Sabathia also shared that he has lost weight after his retirement but maintained that for him, mass equals gas. Interestingly, it was true for Sabathia, who experienced a drop in form when his weight dropped. He also had to change his diet to get back to his best!

When being overweight helped Sabathia bounce back to his best

Athletes work hard to maintain their fitness levels to prolong their playing careers. They advised the same to Sabathia, who was overweight. After the 2013 season, he switched to a healthier diet. But his performance also dropped with a loss in his weight. Even though Sabathia played as a starting pitcher, he could not perform well.

After a struggle, the 2007 Cy Young winner went to his previous diet. When Sabathia returned, weighing around 300 lbs in the 2017 season, he performed exceptionally well. He pitched for the Yankees in the postseason as well. His performances not only helped him reclaim his lost spot but also got him a two-year extension. Sabathia eventually retired in 2019 with one of the most exceptional MLB careers.

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