Aroldis Chapman: Chapmania Taking NL Central-Leading Cincinnati Reds By Storm

Aroldis Chapman was otherworldly in his major-league debut with the Cincinnati Reds, his fastball topping out at 103 miles per hour.

Stephen Strasburg was must-see T.V. when he took the mound for the Washington Nationals, possessing a fastball that regularly hit 100 miles per hour. He overpowered opponents with his repertoire, becoming one of the more popular players in the game. There was so much hype surrounding him, and he lived up to it and then some. After needing to make just 11 minor league starts Strasburg went 5-3, had a sparkling 2.91 ERA and struck out 92 in only 68 innings. He was simply incredible, and as entertaining as can be on the mound.

But then it all fell apart. Trying to twirl a changeup against the Philadelphia Phillies Strasburg felt a twinge in his golden right arm. That twinge turned into something much more serious. His entire elbow needs repairing, and so the vaunted Tommy John Surgery will be performed Friday, putting him on the shelf for the next 18 months.

The injury is not only a tough blow for Strasburg, the Nationals, their fan-base, and the entire baseball world. But the latter will survive, as Aroldis Chapman enters as Strasburg sadly exits.

Chapman, a 22-year old lanky 6’4″ Cuban nicknamed “The Cuban Missile,” was signed by the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds this past winter and upstaged Strasburg in the velocity department in his minor league stint. Just reaching triple digits wasn’t enough for the righthander; surpassing it so consistently and comfortably was. Throughout the minors, 100 was where his fastball sat. It topped out at an unbelievable 105 miles per hour. One-hundred-and-five.

Throwing 95 is fast, and some hitters have said through the years it all looks the same after that; whether its 96 or 100, a difference can’t be detected. But 105 is something else entirely. Opposing hitters were completely overmatched in the minor leagues, which certainly is to be expected when that heat is thrown.

One-hundred-and-five is ridiculous, but is even more so when his pitching motion is factored in. He has a sweeping delivery with a high leg-kick and a three-quarter release point. Coupled with these three characteristics, he strides quickly and powerfully towards the plate, barreling in on hitters to make him even that much more terrifying to stand in the box against.

Radar guns used during his appearances were questioned. ‘There is no way this guy is hitting 105 and consistently reaching 102′ was the thinking of many. But then he was called up by the Reds, and the heat was deemed no fluke. He made his major league debut in relief Tuesday, pitching the eighth inning of an eventual 8-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, and entered to a standing ovation.

Just like with Strasburg, the pressure was on from the start. But, again like Strasburg, it didn’t phase him. He went about his business and did what made him such a sensational, eye-opening talent. Rookie catcher Jonathan Lecroy took 98 for strike-one, a blur of a pitch, then swung through a 90 mile per hour changeup. Changeups aren’t supposed to be thrown at that speed, but neither was his next fastball, which zoomed into the strikezone at 103 and was impressively hit hard foul. Then Chapman just toyed with him, spinning in a 86 mile per hour slider just to mix it up, acquiring the first strikeout of his major league career.

It would be the only one of his outing, but his inning of work was perfect nonetheless. Craig Counsell swung through a 100, then grounded a fastball once again clocked at 103 to shortstop. Carlos Gomez grounded out as well, hitting 99 to second.

Chapman didn’t face very productive hitters in his inning of work, but just as Strasburg’s 13-strikeout debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the quality of the opposition is moot. What he showed made my jaw drop. And mine surely wasn’t the only one to. Manager Dusty Baker said it was “a wonderful debut” for someone pitcher Bronson Arroyo appropriately called “the Usain Bolt of baseball.”

Arroyo, whose fastball tops out at 90, went onto one again aptly say, “There are probably less than 10 guys that have ever walked the Earth that have ever thrown that hard.” Chapman, who was given a $30.25 million contract by the Reds prior to the season, is special—someone who doesn’t come around very often.

He was promoted from Triple-A Louisville in enough time to be playoff-eligible. His rarely before seen velocity and trio of offspeed pitches in the playoffs is a scary thought for opponents and definitely a pleasing one for Cincinnati, a team and a city that hopes the laid-back, gum-chewing 22-year old can avoid becoming Strasburg the injury and continue to be their version of Strasburg the pitcher.