There was once a time in his career when flamethrower closer Aroldis Chapman was a nightmare matchup for opposing hitters.
But those days have come and gone, as Chapman is now 30 years of age, and hurling fastballs at a 100+mph velocity takes a toll on one’s body over the years. Chapman has battled through some injuries, in what has been an up-and-down last few seasons.
Last night, Chapman had a chance to close out a game in the ninth inning, with the Yankees holding a comfortable 4-1 lead, in hopes of avoiding the sweep at Fenway Park.
But he failed.
Chapman gave up a slew of hits, leading to three earned runs, and the Red Sox later went on to win the game in extra innings.
Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez explained why, he believes, Chapman isn’t as intimidating as he once was, after the game was in the books.
J.D. Martinez had an interesting theory on Chapman. "He used to be the only guy in the league who was throwing 100 regularly. Now you see more guys doing it and when you face him, it's not as intimidating."
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) August 6, 2018
That makes complete sense. There was a time when throwing 100+ mph was unheard of — now it’s quite common.
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