# CC Sabathia says young Yankees need help wearing the pinstripes

> A Yankees Hall of Famer watched Anthony Volpe get cheered and booed, and he thinks the club could do more to protect its young players.
- Title: CC Sabathia says young Yankees need help wearing the…
- Summary: A Yankees Hall of Famer watched Anthony Volpe get cheered and booed, and he thinks the club could do more to protect its young players. New York puts more…
- Keywords: yankees, mlb, cc sabathia, anthony volpe, player development, news, politics, Sabathia, young, need, help, wearing
- Source: OutKick — https://foxnews.com/outkick-sports/cc-sabathia-says-yankees-could-do-better-job-helping-young-players-handle-pinstripes-different-beast
- Author: Scott Thompson
- Published: 2026-09-15T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: yankees, mlb, cc sabathia, anthony volpe, player development, news, politics
## Earning pinstripes is brutal
Anthony Volpe was a Yankees first-round pick. Four seasons in, the 25-year-old has heard cheers, abuse and everything in between from fans who expect a World Series every year.
## Even Sabathia felt the weight
As a free agent in 2009, CC Sabathia was a little intimidated by what the pinstripes carry. He signed anyway, and his No. 52 will be retired on Sept. 26.
## Ease them in, don't coddle
At his PitCCh In Foundation golf classic, Sabathia said the Yankees should find a way to ease young players into the expectations rather than shield them from it.

> It’s hard to watch, right?
## Labels stick fast here
Sabathia watched Gary Sanchez and Miguel Andujar get labeled early. By his count, Aaron Judge was the only young player who did well, because hitting 50 homers got everyone off his back.

> you get a label and that’s what it is, which sucks especially for a young player
## Lombard got the same treatment
George Lombard Jr. made six errors in a row and the grumbling started right away. Sabathia wants the Yankees to insulate these players and explain what wearing pinstripes really involves.

> There’s going to be ups and downs, you gotta cancel out the noise and go out and play baseball every single day.
## Volpe isn't going to quit
Sabathia praised Volpe's determination and said he has the talent to play anywhere, at second or shortstop, in the Bronx or with another team.

> He’s not going to quit.
## New York was different
Sabathia felt pressure at 20 in Cleveland in 2001 and again with Milwaukee. New York in 2009 was another level, though he and his teammates delivered the franchise's 27th title.
## Still chasing title 28
The Yankees have reached only one World Series since 2009 and lost it to the Dodgers in 2024. They have clinched another postseason spot, and Sabathia hopes this is the year.
## Nowhere else compares
Sabathia said this kind of pressure doesn't exist anywhere else. If Roman Anthony's rough stretch in Boston happened in New York, it would lead SportsCenter every day.

> It's a different beast when you put on the pinstripes.
## Key takeaway

New York puts more pressure on young players than any other MLB city, so Sabathia wants the Yankees to teach prospects how to handle it instead of leaving them to face the fans alone.