Red Sox Closer Wins Second AL Reliever Of The Year Award
It’s been a pretty good week for Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman.
After finishing seventh in the American League Cy Young race on Wednesday (the best finish of his career), Chapman won AL Reliever of the Year on Thursday.
It was his second time winning the award, as he also took home the hardware in 2019 with the New York Yankees. New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz won the National League award.
The award, which is named after Yankees Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, was well deserved by Chapman after arguably the best season of his 16-year career. It wasn’t a surprise, either, given how dominant his campaign was.
The 37-year-old flamethrower was outstanding from start to finish, going 5-3 with a 1.17 ERA, a 1.73 FIP, a 0.70 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings. He also notched 32 saves in 34 chances and limited opponents to a .132/.189/.198 batting line.
Opposing hitters were utterly helpless against Chapman, who faced 50 batters in a row at one point without allowing a hit. He essentially pitched two no-hitters over the course of his 17 consecutive hitless appearances, going roughly seven weeks without allowing a hit.
The eight-time All-Star also earned a contract extension during the season for his efforts, locking him up for 2026 with a vesting option for 2027.
This season will be tough to top for Chapman, but Boston is hoping he can provide similar production and ninth-inning security next year. The Red Sox are banking on him to anchor their bullpen again and keep slamming the door on opponents.