Should Red Sox Fans Start Worrying About Aroldis Chapman? Yes
His stuff is as dominant as ever, but Aroldis Chapman hasn't been the unhittable closing machine he was last season.
Boston Red Sox fans may need to start worrying about the performance of closer Aroldis Chapman, despite his intimidating presence on the field. While Chapman had a stellar first season in Boston, notching 32 saves and leading the team in strikeouts, his recent struggles have raised concerns. In a recent game, Chapman allowed the go-ahead run to score, resulting in a loss for the Red Sox.
This marked one of the few times this season that his performance had cost the team. Despite his dominant numbers in terms of ERA and strikeout rate, Chapman has seen a decrease in his strikeout-to-walk ratio and has allowed more hits per nine innings than ever before. This increase in hits could spell trouble for the Red Sox as they inch closer to a World Series appearance.
However, the team may still have some wiggle room as they currently sit in wild card position. Interim manager Chad Tracy has other options for finishers, but none have Chapman's success record. As the regular season progresses, it will be crucial for Chapman to address his issues to ensure the Red Sox's fairytale season ends with a happy ending.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
