Yankees: The 5 best pitching seasons of the 21st century in the Bronx

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NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 06: CC Sabathia #52 of the New York Yankees throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during Game Five of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 6, 2011 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Tigers won 3-2. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) /

CC Sabathia, 2011, 6.4 WAR

2011 was Sabathia’s best season as a Yankee. Considering his dominance in 2009 and 2010, it was difficult to be even better.

But he was.

It was his third-consecutive top-four American League Cy Young Award finish. His 3.00 ERA was his lowest as a Yankee, and the second-best of his career. His 230 strikeouts were also his most while he was in the Bronx, the second-most of his career, and the fourth-most in all of baseball behind Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, and Cliff Lee.

His 6.4 WAR was tied for the sixth-most among all pitchers in baseball.

Sabathia had a stretch of eight starts where he allowed seven earned runs in 62.2 innings, which is just a 1.01 ERA, with an 11.2 K/9. Both of those marks were the best in baseball among starters in that span. That stretch also included 24.1 consecutive scoreless innings.

The 2011 season was the final time that Sabathia received any Cy Young Award or Most Valuable Player Award votes, and he notably struggled from 2013 to 2015.

But Sabathia in his prime was right up there with the best in the game.

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