Gambling is frowned upon in baseball, yet it’s the Cincinatti Reds who gambled the biggest (without reprimand), and luckily it paid off. In 2010, a relatively unknown pitcher, Aroldis Chapman, known only for the speed of his fastball, became a $30.25 million gamble for the Reds. Chapman defected from Cuba, a big gamble on his part, and in turn, Cincinatti gambled on him when Cubans are generally unknown.
Aroldis Chapman has been worth every penny of the 5 year deal worth $30.25 million. He’s been named to the All-Star Game every year since 2012. For as impressive as that is, there is the record Chapman set, which is most consecutive relief appearances recording a strikeout, doing so in 49 straight appearances.
Strikeouts, aided by the fastest fastball ever clocked (105 M.P.H.), are Chapman’s forte. His career averages are 3.49 strikeouts to walks and 15.4 strikeouts per 9 innings. To call those numbers gaudy would be an understatement for any pitcher, let alone a reliever.
But it’s what Aroldis Chapman did on June 19, 2015 that will go in the record books. Chapman, in the league since 2010, has logged 292 innings of work in those roughly five seasons. Over those 292 innings, Chapman recorded 500 strikeouts, the first 500 of what looks to be a career that will be chock full of them. 292 innings is the shortest amount of time any pitcher in MLB history to record their first 500 strikeouts.
What makes that even more impressive is that Chapman is a reliever so he doesn’t have the oppurtunity to log 7 or 8 innings and 6 or 7 or 8 strikeouts in each outing. Instead, Chapman enters late in games, and absolutely dominates every batter he faces.
Society likes those who make do with what they have, and Aroldis Chapman excels at that.
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