When the Boston Red Sox shockingly traded All-Star infielder Rafael Devers, it was believed the team was throwing in the towel. Yet, here we are with one month left in the MLB regular season and the Red Sox are in the thick of the American League East race. One of the biggest reasons for that has been the re-emergence of closer Aroldis Chapman.
Chapman is having an unbelievable year for Boston. He is 4-2, with 26 saves to go along with a 1.04 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts over 52 innings pitched.
The MLB Central cast spent some of Friday breaking down the Red Sox, and in particular, Chapman's dominance.
“37 consecutive at-bats without allowing a hit,” Lauren Shehadi pointed out. “Think about that.”
Is Aroldis Chapman the best closer in the game right now?
"I don't know if anyone is even close to him this year." – Mark DeRosa pic.twitter.com/YZmPG39lEi
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 29, 2025
But the 37-year-old closer's stats are even more impressive than just that. He has allowed just one earned run since May 28th. The Red Sox bullpen was one of the team's biggest question marks entering the season. But Chapman has at least solved the back end of it, which prompted quite the compliment.
“I don't even know if anyone is even close to him this year,” former Major Leaguer Mark DeRosa said.
The Red Sox lefty ranks just seventh in saves, but if you look across the majors, DeRosa is right. There is not a closer in baseball even close to the numbers Chapman is putting up this year.
He is first in WAR (by a lot), first in WHIP (by a lot), first in ERA (by a lot), and third in Ks per 9.
The Boston bullpen, however, is about to be shaken up. News surfaced earlier on Friday that the Red Sox released Walker Buehler, who the team had moved to the pen after struggling in the rotation.
With 27 games remaining in the regular season, Boston is 75-60. They are 3.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays, and lead the Wild Card race.
