The fastball has always been baseballs greatest measuring stick for a pitcher. We are obsessed with it. Power. Every time a pitcher comes to the big leagues with a big arm, fans and pundits alike focus their attention. Every generation has a few of these players. Bobby Jenks, Nolan Ryan, Robb Nen, Justin Verlander, Bob Feller, Steve Dalkowski, Billy Koch, Joel Zumaya and Randy Johnson come to mind. Not all became the dominant forces. Some even became minor league fodder, but they all became a star even if for only a brief moment. We can’t help but watch, it’s human nature. We all want to see if someone can become baseball’s new 100 MPH King.
100 miles per hour. That is the gold standard of power. Despite the names I had mentioned previously, there is one that stands alone as the 100 MPH King: Aroldis Chapman. Since his courtship process with MLB teams began in late 2009 after his defection from Cuba, everyone knew Chapman was special. Blessed with world class arm speed, a long wiry frame and developing secondary offerings, Aroldis Chapman has become the picture of modern velocity. Recently another has come on the scene chasing that crown.
Baseball’s New 100 MPH King: Mauricio Cabrera
Mauricio Cabrera, is a 22-year-old reliever from the Dominican Republic. He is big, strong and looks the part of the elite relief fireballer. At 6’3 245 lbs, he is imposing. Of the 50 fastest pitches thrown this year, he owns 3, including a 103.8 mph missile on July 19. The other 47 belong to Chapman, so lets look a little deeper.
Aroldis Chapman has thrown 841 pitches this season, 438 of which were north of 100 mph. Cabrera on the other hand has thrown 528 pitches, 285 of which were beyond 100 mph. For comparison sake understand that Noah Syndergaard, a starter, is third with 84 pitches over the 100 barrier. These two are in a class of their own.
At 28, Chapman is a finished product. He has the legendary fastball and a wipe-out slider. He will never be a guy that controls all quadrants of the strike zone, but with his arsenal he doesn’t have to be. Cabrera on the other hand is a work in progress. The big fastball is a plus plus pitch. With good arm side run it generates a tonne of ground balls but very few whiffs. His breaking ball has great depth but its a developing pitch. He strikes out less the a batter per inning but controls the strike zone reasonably well for a pitcher with his relative lack of experience and explosive arsenal.
The biggest plus with Cabrera is age. At 22, with his mechanics and stride, there is no reason to believe that he wont be able to reach new heights with his velocity. While he may never post the absurd, video game like strike out totals of Chapman, he may be able to surpass him with sheer power.
Watching him along with all of the other developing pieces on the Atlanta Braves‘ roster actually make them an interesting team to watch in September. Which is odd to say as they chase a 100-loss season. Maybe Cabrera becomes this generations next great power arm. Maybe he goes the way of Koch, Jenks and so many others. All I know is, it is going to be fun to watch.
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