Aroldis Chapman lived up to his closer title to near perfection in the month of May as he made 11 appearances with six saves in seven opportunities.
Overall the Cuban closer pitched 11.1 innings surrendering only two earned runs and five hits as he struck out a whopping 20 batters and held the opposition to a .135 batting average.
Chapman has shined in clutch situations. His numbers have improved in “late” and or “close” situations. Chapman has been dominant against left-handed batters, and opponents from both sides have hit just .134 combined against him this year.
Chapman’s fastball hit 1o3 on the gun numerous times and he finished the month of May with a 1.59 ERA. Over his 11 games, the flamethrower struck out the side four times.
Overall in 2018 Chapman has been a stable force closing out games for the Bronx Bombers. As of June 3, Chapman has pitched to a 1.48 ERA while converting 13 of 14 save opportunities.
His 16.3 Ks per nine innings pitched led the American League and was second in the majors, while his 13 saves were tied for fourth in the A.L. If he is able to maintain that ratio through the summer months he would easily end the season with career-high numbers.
With a confident Chapman performing at a high level opposing batters faced a steep uphill battle when trailing the Yankees late in games.
Chapman is currently in year two of a five-year, $86 million contract, and is still one of the top relievers in baseball.
