Aroldis Chapman facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Chapman and the second or maternal family name is de la Cruz.

Quick facts for kids

Aroldis Chapman

Chapman with the New York Yankees in 2016

Boston Red Sox – No. 44

Pitcher

Born: February 28, 1988 (age 37)
Holguín, Cuba

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

debut

August 31, 2010, for the Cincinnati Reds

MLB statistics
(through July 26, 2025)

Win–loss record

58–47

Earned run average

2.56

Strikeouts

1,307

Saves

353

Teams

Cincinnati Reds (2010–2015)
New York Yankees (2016)
Chicago Cubs (2016)
New York Yankees (2017–2022)
Kansas City Royals (2023)
Texas Rangers (2023)
Pittsburgh Pirates (2024)
Boston Red Sox (2025–present)

Career highlights and awards

8× All-Star (2012–2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2025)
2× World Series champion (2016, 2023)
All-MLB Second Team (2019)
AL Reliever of the Year (2019)

MLB records

Fastest pitch in MLB history – 105.8 miles per hour (170.3 km/h)
Most consecutive relief appearances with a strikeout (49)

Medals

Men's baseball

Representing Cuba
Pan American Games
Gold	2007 Rio de Janeiro	Team
Baseball World Cup
Silver	2007 Taipei	Team

Albertín Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz is a professional baseball player from Cuba. He is a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball (MLB). Chapman is known for throwing very fast pitches. People call him "the Cuban Missile" because of his incredible fastball speed.

Chapman has played for several MLB teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played in Cuba for Holguín. He throws and bats left-handed. He is part of the 300 save club, meaning he has saved 300 games. He also holds the record for the most strikeouts by a left-handed relief pitcher.

Chapman played for the Cuban national team before coming to the United States. He left Cuba in 2009 and signed with the Reds in 2010. He made his MLB debut that same year. He was named an All-Star four times with the Reds. After playing for the Reds, he joined the Yankees and then the Cubs in 2016. With the Cubs, he helped them win the 2016 World Series. He later returned to the Yankees and was an All-Star three more times. In 2019, he was named the AL Reliever of the Year.

After playing for the Yankees, Chapman joined the Royals and then the Rangers in 2023. He won his second 2023 World Series championship with the Rangers. In 2024, he played for the Pirates, and in 2025, he signed with the Red Sox. He was named an All-Star for the eighth time in 2025. Chapman holds the record for the fastest pitch ever recorded in MLB history, at 105.8 miles per hour. He also has a Guinness World Record for the fastest baseball pitch.

Early Life and Baseball Start

Chapman was born in Holguín, Cuba, on February 28, 1988. He grew up in a small house with his parents and two sisters. His father was a boxing trainer and later worked for the city.

When he was 15, a friend invited Chapman to join a local baseball team. He started as a first baseman. However, his coach soon noticed how well he could throw. In 2003, Chapman began playing as a pitcher.

Professional Baseball Journey

Playing in Cuba

Chapman joined the Holguín Sabuesos team in the Cuban National Series League. He played there from 2005 to 2009. During his time with the Sabuesos, he mostly pitched as a starter. He had a record of 24 wins and 19 losses. He also had a 3.74 earned run average (ERA) and 365 strikeouts. In 2007, he also made 11 appearances as a relief pitcher and earned 7 saves.

Chapman also played for the Cuban national team. He competed in the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Coming to America

In 2009, Chapman left Cuba while he was in the Netherlands for a baseball tournament. He later moved to Andorra and asked MLB to let him become a free agent. This meant he could sign with any team.

Starting in the Minor Leagues

Chapman pitching for the Cincinnati Reds in 2010 spring training

On January 10, 2010, Chapman signed a six-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds. The contract was worth over $30 million. He started the 2010 season playing for the Triple-A Louisville Bats. In his first game, he pitched well, striking out nine batters. He started 13 games for Louisville. Later, the team used him as a relief pitcher, which is a pitcher who comes into the game after the starting pitcher.

Time with the Cincinnati Reds (2010–2015)

Making His MLB Debut

Chapman made his first Major League Baseball appearance on August 31, 2010. He pitched in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers. His very first pitch was clocked at 98 miles per hour! He quickly got three outs. On September 1, he earned his first MLB win.

On September 24, 2010, Chapman threw a pitch that was recorded at 105.1 miles per hour. This was the fastest pitch ever recognized by MLB at that time.

Becoming a Relief Pitcher

Chapman pitching for the Cincinnati Reds in 2011

In 2011, Chapman became a full-time relief pitcher. He played in 54 games and had a 3.60 ERA (Earned Run Average). An ERA shows how many earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings. He also struck out 71 batters in just 50 innings.

In 2012, Chapman was supposed to be a starting pitcher. But because other pitchers were injured, he became the team's closer. A closer is a relief pitcher who finishes the game and tries to "save" the win for their team. He was named an All-Star for the first time in 2012. He finished the 2012 season with a 1.51 ERA and 38 saves. He also struck out 122 batters.

All-Star Seasons

Chapman continued to be the closer for the Reds in 2013. He was an All-Star again. He ended the year with 38 saves and 112 strikeouts.

In 2014, during a spring training game, Chapman was hit in the head by a batted ball. He needed surgery for a skull fracture. He recovered and returned to play on May 10. On July 29, 2014, he recorded his 100th career save. He was one of the fastest pitchers to reach this milestone. He also became the fastest pitcher to reach 100 strikeouts in a season, doing it in just 51 innings. He finished 2014 with 36 saves and 106 strikeouts.

In 2015, Chapman was selected for his fourth straight All-Star Game. He pitched a perfect inning, striking out three batters. Many of his pitches were over 100 miles per hour. His fastest pitch in 2015 was 103.9 miles per hour. He finished the 2015 season with 33 saves and a 1.63 ERA.

Joining the New York Yankees (2016)

Chapman with the Yankees in 2016

In December 2015, Chapman was traded to the New York Yankees. He became the team's new closer. MLB suspended Chapman for the first 30 games of the season due to a personal conduct policy violation. He made his first appearance for the Yankees on May 9, 2016. On July 18, he threw a pitch at 105 miles per hour twice in one game.

Winning the World Series with the Chicago Cubs (2016)

Chapman with the Chicago Cubs in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series

On July 25, 2016, the Yankees traded Chapman to the Chicago Cubs. Chapman was excited to join the Cubs. He made his first appearance for them on July 27. His fastest pitch in 2016 was 105.1 miles per hour.

Chapman played a big role in the Cubs' postseason run. He earned three saves in the 2016 National League Division Series. He also helped the Cubs win the 2016 National League Championship Series, sending them to the World Series for the first time since 1945.

Chapman delivers a pitch during Game 6 of the 2016 World Series

In the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians, Chapman pitched in several key games. In Game 7, he came into the game with a lead, but the Indians tied it with a home run. Chapman kept pitching, and the Cubs scored in extra innings to win the game. This gave Chapman his first World Series championship.

Returning to the New York Yankees (2017–2022)

After winning the World Series, Chapman signed a new contract to return to the Yankees in December 2016.

2017 and 2018 Seasons

In May 2017, Chapman was placed on the disabled list due to shoulder inflammation. He returned in June. His fastest pitch of 2017 was 104.3 miles per hour.

In 2018, Chapman was selected as an MLB All-Star again. However, he decided to skip the game to rest his knee. His fastest pitch of 2018 was 104.4 miles per hour.

2019 and 2020 Seasons

Chapman at the 2019 All-Star Game

In 2019, Chapman had a great season. He had 37 saves and a 2.21 ERA. He struck out 85 batters in 57 innings. He won the AL Reliever of the Month Award twice and was named the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year.

In 2020, Chapman tested positive for the COVID-19 virus but recovered and returned to play. He pitched in 11.2 innings and had a 3.09 ERA.

Milestones in 2021

On August 26, 2021, Chapman recorded his 300th career save. This was a big achievement for him. On September 30, he recorded his 1,000th career strikeout. He finished the 2021 season with 30 saves and 97 strikeouts.

2022 Season Challenges

In 2022, Chapman dealt with injuries, including Achilles tendinitis. He also missed a mandatory workout before the playoffs and was left off the team's postseason roster.

Playing for the Kansas City Royals (2023)

Chapman with the Royals in 2023

On January 27, 2023, Chapman signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. He had a 2.45 ERA in 31 games with the Royals.

Winning Another World Series with the Texas Rangers (2023)

On June 30, 2023, the Royals traded Chapman to the Texas Rangers. He pitched well for the Rangers, helping them reach the playoffs. He pitched six innings in the 2023 postseason and won his second World Series ring with the team.

Time with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2024)

On January 31, 2024, Chapman signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. On June 29, 2024, he set a new record. He recorded his 1,197th career strikeout, passing Billy Wagner for the most strikeouts by a left-handed relief pitcher.

Joining the Boston Red Sox (2025)

On December 10, 2024, Chapman signed a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. He competed for the closer role during spring training and was named the closer to start the season. He quickly started getting saves. On April 19, 2025, Chapman threw the fastest pitch ever recorded for a Red Sox pitcher at 102.3 miles per hour. Just seven days later, he broke his own record with a pitch at 103.4 miles per hour. The Red Sox are the sixth team where Chapman has broken the franchise record for fastest pitch. On July 2, he earned his 350th career save. Four days later, on July 6, Chapman was named to his eighth All-Star Game.

Chapman's Pitching Style

His Amazing Pitches

Chapman pitching for the Reds in 2010

Chapman throws four main pitches:

A four-seam fastball that averages 99-100 miles per hour.
A slider that averages 87-88 miles per hour.
A splitter.
A change-up.

Since 2018, he also added a sinker that can reach 102 miles per hour and averages over 100 miles per hour.

Chapman's fastball and slider are very hard for batters to hit. Batters often swing and miss at these pitches. Because of this, Chapman has struck out 40% of the batters he has faced in his career.

The scoreboard of Yankee Stadium "on fire" as Aroldis Chapman comes onto the field from the bullpen to close a game.

When Chapman comes into a game, especially for the Yankees, the stadium scoreboard often shows his name on fire. This is because his high-speed pitches are often called "heat."

Speed Records

Chapman is famous for throwing incredibly fast pitches. On September 24, 2010, he threw a pitch clocked at 105.1 miles per hour. This was the fastest pitch ever recorded in MLB at that time. On July 19, 2016, he matched that speed.

In 2017, MLB updated its pitch tracking system. A pitch Chapman threw on September 24, 2011, was re-measured at 105.8 miles per hour. This is now considered the fastest pitch ever thrown in Major League Baseball history.

How He Throws So Fast

Baseball experts have studied Chapman's pitching motion. They say he has a very smooth and powerful way of throwing. He uses his legs and body to create a lot of force. This helps him throw the ball with incredible speed.

Because his delivery is so powerful, it can be very demanding on his body. This is why he usually pitches only one inning per game, which is common for a closer.

Personal Life

When Chapman left Cuba, he left behind his family. He later helped them move to the United States. In 2014, his son was born in Cincinnati.

In April 2016, Chapman became a citizen of the United States. He is Catholic.