Aroldis Chapman is having perhaps the best season of his career this year and that’s really unexpected.
Chapman’s 2023 was a bounceback from his 2022 with the New York Yankees. 2022 stands alone as his only year worth negative bWAR (-0.2). After six years in New York — plus the first half of 2016 — Chapman was a free agent coming off a year with career highs in ERA (4.46) & FIP (4.57), his worst K:BB ratio (1.57) , fewer strikeouts (10.7/9), more walks (6.9).
But the Kansas City Royals, fresh off a last
place finish the AL Central with a 65-97 record, gave him a chance. For the Royals, who would finish 2023 at 56-106, it was a low-risk, high reward signing. If Chapman was bad, who would care? The team was bad. If Chapman was good…well, the market for relievers could be rich. And with a long track record, someone would pay up. And pay they did: the Texas Rangers traded Cole Ragans for him. He only finished 4th in the AL Cy Young race in 2024.
So the Pittsburgh Pirates tried the same thing after Chapman added a World Series ring to his resume. It didn’t go great. Chapman wasn’t terrible but Ben Cherington wasn’t wowed and he stayed put. Which brings us to 2025.
Chapman has been simply brilliant.
Literally unhittable. That’s a word thrown around a lot. But he hasn’t give up a hit since July 23rd. That’s 11.2 innings over 14 appearances.
He’s sitting on a 1.04 ERA.
3: the number of times he struck out the side.
4: pitcher wins – the Sox have come back after using their closer.
6: the number of time he recorded strikeouts for all three outs in an inning.
7: number of runs allowed
9: the most common inning he pitched (45 of 57 appearances).
14: number of walks.
26: the number of saves in 28 opportunities.
35: number of hits a walks
37: his year on planet Earth.
52: number of innings.
74: number of strikeouts.
102.4: the fastest pitch of the year in miles per hour.
Alex Cora has turned to his closer in the seventh inning (one time), the eighth (six times), and in extra innings (four times) in an attempt to use his best reliever in the best way to win as many games as possible.
He hasn’t picked off any base runners, although there have been so few to even make it on base.
Aroldis Chapman wasn’t necessarily going to be the closer. Whitlock was available. Greg Weissert, perhaps. Liam Hendricks seemed like he was turning the corner in his recovery. Justin Slaten was around. It wasn’t a guarantee that there was going to be a named, official, go-to forever closer.
But inning after inning, day after day, starting with Spring Training, Chapman claimed the mantle.
He’s topped out at 68 appearances and 72.1 innings in his career. At that innings count was way back in 2012. Cora has him with, likely, room to spare up on that appearances total with a month to go. And with fewer innings, which would be important for the month following next month. Pitching three days in a row: one time, spanning the Yankees and Rays. Two days has happened quite often though. It’s definitely been a challenge using the rest of the bullpen when Chapman can’t help out, but he’s been the rock everyone else built off of.
In another decade Chapman might begetting Cy Young votes here and there when it’s all said and done. It’s not really an award designed for relievers but his 2025 is a case for showing off what a dedicated relief pitcher can do. When they release that BBWAA award next year this is the type of season I’m sure the writers have in mind.