Aroldis Chapman Stats & Scouting Report

IP	61.2
ERA	3.79
WHIP	1.35
BB/9	5.69
SO/9	14.3

Full name Albertin Aroldis Chapman
Born 02/28/1988 in Holguin, Cuba
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 218 / Bats: L / Throws: L
Debut 08/31/2010

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

When Chapman was in Cuba, his talented left arm was coveted by major league scouts, even if he was off limits and never exhibited much consistency. He first tried to defect in 2008 but got caught and was left off Cuba's Olympic team as punishment. He rejoined the national team for the 2009 World Baseball Classic, where he sat in the mid-90s and touched 100 mph with his fastball. Chapman bolted from the team at the World Port Tournament in the Netherlands that July and became a free agent after establishing residency in Andorra. He signed with the Reds last January, received a six-year, $30.25 million major league contract that included a $16.25 million bonus. Chapman's adjustment to the United States wasn't always easy. He had to get used to a new culture and deal with the daily grind of pro ball. He was surprised to learn that MLB organizations practiced every day, and he never had done any video work. After spending his first two months at Triple-A Louisville as a starter, he took off after moving to the bullpen in mid-June. Cincinnati called him up in August, and he made history on Sept. 24 by throwing the fastest recorded fastball in big league history at 105.1 mph. He took the loss in Game Two of the Division Series when the Phillies roughed him up for three unearned runs. Any discussion about Chapman begins with his fastball. It's a freak of nature, arguably the hottest heater ever seen. The 20-80 scouting scale fails to fully encapsulate the pitch, because at its best it's 7-8 mph harder than an 80 fastball. He sits at 99-100 mph and touches 103-105 as a reliever. Even as a starter, he can work at 95-96 mph and get to 101. Hitters can't try to sit on his fastball because Chapman has a plus-plus slider, a mid-80s dart with sharp break. He also throws a below-average changeup with too much velocity, though that pitch became less important when he moved out of the rotation. His fastball and slider are good enough to get both lefthanders and righthanders out. Chapman is a premium athlete, but he struggled with his tempo and with repeating his delivery as a starter. He likely never will have plus command, partly because his fastball has so much life at times that it runs out of the strike zone, though more consistent mechanics would help. He didn't have much of a grasp of the nuances of pitching--fielding his position, covering first base, holding runners--but improved over the course of the season. The big question is whether Chapman will be a starter of reliever. Reds GM Walt Jocketty already has stated publicly that Chapman won't return to the minor leagues, making it more likely that he'll be a bullpen weapon. The needs of a contender often trump developmental concerns, and Chapman could supplant Francisco Cordero as the Reds' closer before the all-star break.

Minor League Top Prospects

The $30.25 million Cuban lefthander became an IL legend thanks to the number of times he reached or exceeded 100 mph with his fastball. He added to his reputation when he threw the fastest fastball in major league history: 105.1 mph against the Padres on Sept. 24. Chapman was much more dominant after moving to the bullpen, going 4-1, 2.40 with eight saves and a .156 opponent average. He not only had the best fastball in the league but also the best breaking pitch, a sharp mid-80s slider. He also has a changeup that he didn't need as much as a reliever. Chapman still is somewhat a work in progress. He doesn't have good control and is extremely slow to the plate. But he has the electric stuff to become a star closer, and perhaps a frontline starter if he can add more polish. "All of the things that you take for granted--where to throw on comebackers, covering first base, what to throw in different situations--he had to learn," Louisville manager Rick Sweet said.