PHILADELPHIA – CC Sabathia was in the car with a group of former players headed to an all-star week event when his phone buzzed. To his surprise, it was a different past teammate, Rickie Weeks, on the other end with some of the best news he’s ever gotten.
The Milwaukee Brewers were taking Sabathia’s son, Carsten, with their final pick in the MLB draft.
“It was crazy,” Sabathia said. “Full-circle. Your teammate calls you about your son getting drafted by the organization he works for is cool.”
In a nostalgic twist of fate, Sabathia wasn’t the only member of the 2008 Brewers at the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park with a son in the Milwaukee organization as a player. First baseman Prince Fielder, traveling in the same group as Sabathia, is also a Brewer dad now; his son, Jadyn, is currently playing for Milwaukee’s Class A affiliate, the Wilson Warbirds.
Jadyn and Carsten are longtime friends. Their dads, of course, were teammates for three months in 2008, but they also got to know one another throughout events in the years that followed.
“They’ve known each other for a long time, since they were babies,” CC said. “I was looking through pictures of the All-Star Game in Kansas City [in 2012] with them out on the field. For them to be in the same organization, it’s going to be awesome.”
Said the generously-listed 5-foot-11 Prince Fielder: “I’ve known ‘Little C’ since he was shorter than me.”
Carsten Sabathia III hit .283 with an .885 OPS this year for the University of Houston, slugigng six homers across 37 games for the Cougars. He played four years in college, first at Georgia Tech before transferring in 2025.
“He’s a high baseball IQ guy,” CC said. “He loves the game. He’s going to work hard to be the best that he can be. Every limitation he’s had in his life – whether it’s not being fast enough, not being strong enough – he’s figured it out. He’s worked through them and I’m excited to see him turn pro.”
Added Fielder to the scouting report: “I know he can bang a little bit.”
At 6 foor 4 and 245 lbs., Sabathia sure has the size to do some damage at the plate. Dad isn’t ready quite yet to concede the title of family power hitter, though.
“I got more pop,” said CC, who hit three homers in 121 career at-bats, including one with Milwaukee.
When Carsten Sabathia reports to the Brewers complex in Arizona when he signs, Jadyn Fielder will be a level ahead. After a strong debut year in 2025 in which he hit .268 with a .426 OBP in the Arizona Complex League, the 21-year-old Fielder has continued that success in Wilson, currently sitting with a .415 OBP and .813 OPS in 45 games.
“At first he started off slow,” Prince Fielder said. “It was a little cold. Me and him both start out slow. As he gets older, he’ll figure that out soon. Now he’s going good.”
Fielder and Sabathia achieved grand feats during their careers – Fielder becoming the youngest player to ever hit 50 homers in a season, Sabathia making the Hall of Fame – but they both agreed: Being a dad to ballplayers is even more rewarding.
“For me it’s great,” Fielder said. “My son, he loves it. That’s all you want. You can’t control the outcome. But as long as he loves it and goes out there and tries to get better every day, that’s all you can ask for.”
Said Sabathia: “I couldn’t be more proud of him. He’s had a tough last four years going through college and trying to figure out playing time and where to play. The fans in Milwaukee are going to be excited.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: CC Sabathia is Brewers royalty. Now, he’s a proud Brewers dad.
Reporting by Curt Hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Curt Hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
