Yankees need Aroldis Chapman to start bringing the heat again
The New York Yankees are maintaining a brave face about Aroldis Chapman, but Aaron Boone and company know they need more speed from their closer.
Earlier this season, watching Aroldis Chapman pitch was a must-see event. The Cuban closer would regularly run his fastballs past hitters at a speed in excess of 100 mph. Unfortunately for the Yankees, his recent outings have been much more ordinary.
In other words, Chapman’s velocity has taken a significant dip. Recently his fastballs have been hovering between 94 and 96 mph. That’s nothing to scoff at, but it’s cause for concern for Aaron Boone and company. Chapman’s entire pitching arsenal is based around keeping hitters off-balance with his electric heater.
Boone is doing his best to downplay any concern about Chapman’s game. He recently told reporters that his talented southpaw is “just going through a little patch” at the moment. In other words, Boone thinks his velocity will bounce back relatively soon. Comments from catcher Austin Romine lead you to believe there’s a little more cause for concern.
Romine admitted that he and Chapman switched into “emergency mode” quickly after seeing his lack of a dominating fastball against the Rangers on Thursday night. Credit Chapman for getting hitters out with his improved slider, but the off speed pitch isn’t good enough for him to be the dominant closer the Yankees need.
The simplest potential explanation for the dip in velocity would be to blame it on Chapman’s lingering knee issues. Both Boone and the player himself are adamant that is not the issue. In fairness, the limp that seemed to plague Chapman earlier in the year does look to be improved lately.
Everyone with the Yankees also refutes the idea that a change in mechanics are an issue. Romine, in particular, is adamant that Chapman’s pitching motion hasn’t changed. Nothing different pops off the screen when you watch him throw, but you can be certain everyone on Boone’s coaching staff is looking hard at tape of Chapman’s recent outings to see if anything stands out.
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No matter what the issue is, the Yankees need Chapman to figure it out. The Yankees have no chance to thrive in October without their bullpen being lights out. Chapman’s ability to blow hitters away with his stellar fastball is a big part of the club’s blueprint for postseason success. His velocity is definitely something for Yankees fans to watch moving forward.