On July 3, 2026, in a game against the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman set the all-time record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher. 11 days later, he will pitch in his ninth career All-Star Game in Philadelphia at 38 years old.
Aroldis Chapman records career strikeout No. 1,364!
He has set a new all-time record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher ? pic.twitter.com/tdzaYmdGKJ
— MLB (@MLB) July 4, 2026
By striking out Denzer Guzman, Chapman recorded strikeout No. 1,364, passing Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm for the most of all time. It took Chapman 125 fewer relief appearances to break the record than it did for Wilhelm.
The Cuban Missile continues to dominate Major League Baseball, even in his 17th season after coming to America. He has been a game-changing pitcher with every organization he has played with, whether that be with the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and now the Boston Red Sox.
The past two seasons in Boston have been uniquely fascinating to watch, as Aroldis Chapman came to Boston following a one-year tenure in Pittsburgh, where he posted a 3.79 ERA with only 14 saves. In the few seasons before that, Chapman had sometimes even been removed from the closer role, most notably being replaced by Clay Holmes in the Bronx in 2022.
But in Boston, Chapman has not only returned to All-Star form, but still maintains the incredible velocity that helped him burst onto the scene in the early days of his MLB career. Last year, at age 37, he threw the fastest pitch ever recorded by a Red Sox pitcher, at 103.8 miles per hour. And this year, the average velocity on his sinker and his four-seamer are 98 and 96.9 mph, respectively.
103.8 MPH
Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest pitch by a @RedSox pitcher in the pitch tracking era (since 2008) and the fastest pitch in the Majors this season ? pic.twitter.com/28T641gjnH
— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2025
Chapman’s 2025 was incredible, as he was named an All-Star, owned a 1.79 ERA, and recorded 32 saves in 61 1/3 innings of work. This year, he has pitched to 2.20 ERA and has converted 19 saves.
His new pitch repertoire is a key reason for his return to the spotlight, as his sinker usage in 2026 is the most it has ever been in his career at 36.4%, according to Baseball Savant. His splitter, which he started throwing in 2020, has also been very effective over the last two seasons, yielding an opposing batting average of .130 in that time span.
This year, all roads for Aroldis Chapman led to Philadelphia for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. Boston had four players make the All-Star team, with all four being international players, as Chapman was selected to the American League squad alongside Ranger Suarez, Willson Contreras, and Ceddanne Rafaela. Heading into All-Star week, the Red Sox won nine straight games and now find themselves only half a game out of the last AL Wild Card spot.
With this year being his ninth All-Star appearance, Chapman will tie Hall of Famer Rich “Goose” Gossage for the second-most All-Star selections by a relief pitcher ever. If Chapman continues his form, he has a good chance to move into sole possession of second place next season, but it is unlikely that he ties Mariano Rivera’s record 13 appearances.
Chapman is also the oldest All-Star this season besides Commissioner Rob Manfred’s “Legend Pick,” Justin Verlander. When asked on NESN a week ago about being selected to his ninth All-Star Game at age 38, Chapman said, “Some might say I’m reaching the end of my career, so I’m just gonna enjoy… you don’t ever know if this is gonna be the last one, the last time I’m selected.”
Chapman has done so much throughout his career and has continued to reinvent himself over the last two seasons in Boston. He even attempted to play for Great Britain in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, before eventually being denied eligibility by the committee due to the fact he played for Cuba in the 2009 WBC. Chapman’s Cuban heritage continues to stick with him, as he becomes the Cuban pitcher with the most All-Star Game selections in the history of MLB.
While Aroldis Chapman has had his share of controversy throughout his career, no one can deny the impact that he’s had on baseball over the last two decades. At the end of the day, Father Time is undefeated, but the flamethrower continues to give Time a run for his money, breaking record after record in 2026.
GAS, GAS and MORE GAS ?
Mason Miller, Aroldis Chapman and Jacob Misiorowski pose for an electric selfie ?? pic.twitter.com/p0y6HlgW1d
— MLB (@MLB) July 13, 2026
Tune in to the 2026 MLB All-Star Game tonight at 8 p.m. EST on FOX to see the best international stars that MLB has to offer.
WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Puerto Rican Representation Absent From MLB All-Star Game For First Time Since 1982
Photo: Boston Red Sox’s Aroldis Chapman speaks to members of the media during the MLB baseball All-Star Week, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
