Yankees legend gives verdict on Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani's first ballot Hall of Fame worthiness

Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the faces of MLB, and the duo has already created an enviable resume. They have won a combined five MVP awards, and look poised to add one each this year.

Many believe that Judge and Ohtani have already done enough to enter Cooperstown. However, could they enter the MLB Hall of Fame in their first appearance on the ballot? Yankees legend CC Sabathia spoke to Alex Tantum on the matter at the Fanatics Fest on Saturday.

"Yeah, I mean, I think so," Sabathia said." I think if you look at Judgey now. I mean it's almost been 10 years. I think if you look at his regular seasons, he's probably one of the best regular season players of all time."

Sabathia further hailed Aaron Judge, pointing out that the current Yankees captain's stars are comparable to 20th-century MLB legends like Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle.

"And just Shohei, whatever, you know what he's been able to do on the mound and in the box is incredible. So yeah, I think both of these guys [are first Ballot Hall of Famers] for sure," Sabathia added.

Incidentally, Sabathia will become a first-ballot Hall of Famer after his induction next month. He joins Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner as the three voted by the BBWAA.

Sabathia played 11 seasons for the New York Yankees. In his debut season, 2009, he was the ALCS MVP. The Bronx Bombers won the World Series the same year.

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CC Sabathia shares feelings on falling short in 2017 with Aaron Judge

CC Sabathia played alongside Aaron Judge for the Yankees from 2016 to 2019. Their best season was in 2017, when the Yankees reached the ALCS, losing to the Houston Astros.

Astros defeated the Dodgers to win the World Series, but controversy erupted two years later as the Astros faced immense backlash for stealing signs. Sabathia was asked whether he was still bitter about the incident.

"I was for a while," Sabathia said [From 10:31]. "I'm not anymore. And that's why I said after ’17 I was like, I was completely done. It wasn’t because of what happened, it was because of the way we lost. It kind of crushed me, you know? I mean, I was at the end of my career, Judge the MVP, like we went on a crazy run."

Many, including current Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger, then with the Dodgers, believe the Astros should be stripped of the title. Bellinger even claimed Jose Altuve stole the MVP from Aaron Judge by cheating.

Edited by Dipayan Moitra