Aroldis Chapman has been one of the best closers in baseball for over a decade, building a resume that may land him in the Hall of Fame. He’s been an All-Star eight times, won two World Series and collected over 350 saves while pitching for seven different teams.
However, there’s a case to be made that Chapman is having his best season yet for the Boston Red Sox.
Now in his 16th Major League campaign, the 37-year-old flamethrower has never been better. His 1.15 ERA is the best mark of his career, as are his 0.72 WHIP and 2.5 BB/9.
After dominating the 2010s with a 2.23 ERA from 2010 to 2019, Chapman showed signs of decline over the last few years, posting a 3.57 ERA from 2020 to 2024 with an ERA over three. He was still good, but not as dominant as he had been.
This year, however, he’s been vintage Chapman. Since signing a one-year, $10.75 million deal with the Red Sox last December, he’s re-established himself as one of the game’s premier closers.
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The veteran southpaw has been lights-out all season and is showing no signs of slowing down. He’s converted 22 of 24 save opportunities this year and has allowed just one earned run over his last 29 appearances, notching a ridiculous 0.35 ERA.
With 2.5 WAR — his most since 2016 — Chapman is a huge reason why Boston’s poised to make the playoffs for the first time in four years. He’s been a major upgrade to its bullpen and one of the best signings of the offseason.
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Chapman’s had a few hiccups in October, but his 2.37 ERA over 49 1/3 postseason innings remains impressive. If he can keep pitching like this for the next few months, the Red Sox have a good chance to win it all.
Featured image via Jordan Johnson/Imagn Images
