Aroldis Chapman has been one of the biggest surprises of the Boston Red Sox's 2025 season, even into September. The closer has been the most stable option out of Boston's bullpen all year, and he continues to rack up achievements, including some strange ones.
Chapman entered the ninth inning of the Red Sox's September 7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks and added yet another scoreless frame to his stat sheet. But the stat sheet also says that he collected four strikeouts in the inning.
The lefty opened the inning by striking out Blaze Alexander, and quickly followed with a strikeout of Ildemaro Vargas. But Carlos Narváez failed to block a low throw from Chapman, and Vargas took off for first base, where Nathaniel Lowe also couldn't grasp the throw from Narváez. Vargas remained at first base due to the dropped third strike rule, and he was Chapman's first baserunner since August 19, when he allowed a walk against the Orioles.
The runner on base didn't stop Chapman's groove, though, and he fanned the final two batters of the inning to secure a Red Sox win and an end to a three-game losing streak. His command pushed him closer to securing the longest hitless streak by any pitcher in MLB history.
Aroldis Chapman's four-strikeout inning helps push him toward Red Sox and MLB history
Aroldis Chapman's 4 strikeouts in the 9th.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 7, 2025
He's now at 50 consecutive hitters without a hit. 😳 pic.twitter.com/hXGIo2dfVi
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, Chapman has gone 17 appearances without allowing a hit. The last hit Chapman gave up was a home run off the bat of J. T. Realmuto on July 23. The homer was just the sixth run Chapman has surrendered all year.
Chapman's dominance this season has been unmatched, and he's making history in multiple categories — it wouldn't be crazy to imagine him in the American League Cy Young Award conversation, and he almost certainly has Comeback Player of the Year on lock. Chapman has posted a 0.98 ERA, a minuscule 0.64 WHIP, 85 strikeouts and 14 walks in 55 innings this season. He's logged 29 saves on 31 opportunities with four holds, and he's kept the Red Sox in plenty of close games, setting them up to win multiple extra innings thrillers.
Despite Sox fans' initial hesitance to trust the former Yankee, Chapman has been well worth the $10.75 million Boston signed him for this season. His body of work is also worthy of the $13.3 million extension he signed for 2026. If he continues on his reign of terror over ninth inning opponents, Chapman could overtake Jonathan Papelbon for the lowest ERA in Red Sox history, and even surpass Cy Young himself for the longest hitless streak in over 121 years.