Even at 36 years old and in his 15th season, Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Aroldis Chapman is still an elite arm. During Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres, Chapman made history and may have completed the most impressive feat of his illustrious career.
In the eighth inning, Chapman was facing Padres third baseman Manny Machado and blew him away with a low-and-inside 104.7 mph fastball.
Machado was left absolutely speechless as he watched Chapman strike him out, and could only smile as he walked off the field. Despite Chapman's electrifying strikeout, the Padres ended up coming back to win the game 9-8 in 10 innings.
Chapman's 104.7 mph pitch is tied for the fastest strikeout pitch since pitch-tracking began in 2008, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs. Coincidentally, Chapman tied Los Angeles Angels rookie reliever Ben Joyce who set the record with a 104.7 mph pitch of his own on Aug. 4 against J.D. Martinez and the New York Mets.
What may be ever crazier is that Chapman's strikeout pitch wasn't even the fastest pitch Machado saw. The previous pitch reached 105.1 mph, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. That 105.1 mph pitch was the fastest pitch Chapman had thrown since 2016. The fastest pitch Chapman has ever thrown was in 2014, when he set the Major League record by hitting 105.8 mph.
Aroldis Chapman still throwing heat, getting outs later in his career
While fans of course love when Chapman turns back the clock and unleashes a jaw-dropping fastball like he did Wednesday, what's even better is the fact that Chapman is still an effective reliever. He may not be an everyday closer anymore, but Chapman is still an experienced, veteran set-up man who can be trusted in high-leverage situations.
Through 47 appearances and 41 2/3 innings, Chapman has a 3.67 ERA and 67 strikeouts. He and David Bednar, who appears to have gotten over his early-season struggles, form an elite duo at the back of the Pirates bullpen. Last season, Chapman was a key midseason addition to the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers. He was especially effective in the postseason, recording a 2.22 ERA through nine appearances throughout the playoffs.
The Pirates are currently on the outside looking in on the National League postseason picture. They are four games back of the Atlanta Braves for the third NL Wild Card spot. They're still within striking distance, and if Chapman keeps pitching the way he did on Wednesday, who knows how far his historic arm can take this young Pirates team.
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