Red Sox Star Continues Dominant Season By Acing Difficult Test

Aroldis Chapman is certainly no mere left-handed specialist out of the Boston Red Sox’s bullpen.

Chapman continued his resurgent 2025 campaign by pitching a perfect ninth inning to conclude Thursday’s 6-3 win over the New York Yankees. The 37-year-old closer improved his ERA to a microscopic 1.10 following his 11th straight outing without allowing a run or hit.

That’s despite facing steep competition against his former team. Chapman easily navigated the heart of New York’s batting order, retiring three MVP sluggers who have teed off on lefties.

Aaron Judge began the ninth inning by popping up in foul territory before Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton each grounded out. The clean save is all the more impressive considering their splits.

While Judge crushes everyone, the reigning American League MVP has an MLB-best 1.263 OPS against lefties this season. Bellinger ranks fourth after Judge, Yankees teammate Paul Goldschmidt and Red Sox platoon standout Romy Gonzalez with a 1.019 OPS against fellow southpaws.

Stanton’s .954 OPS in just 41 appearances versus lefties feels quaint in comparison, but he’s a career .278/.374/.577 hitter against them.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, nobody has touched Chapman from either side of the plate all year long.

Righties are hitting .125 against the All-Star this season. Chapman has struck out 51 of 142 right-handed batters faced, yielding a .180 opposing slugging percentage.

Chapman’s dominance against all hitters ensures that Red Sox manager Alex Cora can use his relief ace against the opposition’s top batters regardless of handedness. That will especially be important to remember if the Red Sox make the playoffs and encounter right-handed stars such as Judge, Cal Raleigh, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Jose Altuve and Bobby Witt Jr.

It also should mean Cora deploys Chapman in the game’s biggest late-inning spot, even if that occurs before the ninth or in a non-save situation.