Summary
The Boston Red Sox's closer, Aroldis Chapman, is seeing a drop in his pitching speed as the season nears its end. Despite this, he helped the team win against the New York Yankees, marking his 30th save of the season. Both Chapman and the team's coaches are not worried about the velocity decline, saying it's normal during a long season.
Key Facts
- Aroldis Chapman plays as a closer for the Boston Red Sox.
- Chapman achieved his 30th save of the season against the New York Yankees.
- He is experiencing a reduction in pitch speed, with his sinker dropping from 100.4 mph in April to 97.6 mph in September.
- This season, Chapman has a career-best ERA of 1.26 and a WHIP of 0.680.
- Chapman has struck out batters at speeds over 100 mph even with the velocity dip.
- Red Sox manager Alex Cora and pitching coach Andrew Bailey are not worried about the velocity drop, attributing it to the long season.
- Chapman holds the record for the fastest pitch ever recorded at 105.8 mph.
