Aroldis Chapman is 38 years old and still throwing gas. The Boston Red Sox closer made his ninth All-Star team this week, and the conversation around him has shifted from “Is he still elite?” to “Is he a Hall of Famer?”
Chapman addressed that question Tuesday before the All-Star Game, and he didn’t dodge it. Speaking through an interpreter, he told reporters he’s grateful just to be mentioned alongside the game’s all-time greats.
“I feel like I’m proud, and happiness as well, to be in that conversation,” Chapman said. “That means that I had, so far, a great career, an excellent career. I continue to do that and hopefully when my career ends, to do that, to be in the Hall of Fame.”
The numbers back him up. Chapman has 386 career saves, good for 10th all-time. He’s four saves shy of passing Dennis Eckersley for ninth. And he’s not slowing down: this season he’s got a 2.20 ERA with 19 saves for Boston. That’s a guy who still has something left in the tank.
But let’s be real here. The Hall of Fame has historically been tough on relievers. Eckersley got in. Mariano Rivera is in (unanimously, obviously). But guys like Billy Wagner are still waiting, and his numbers compare favorably to Chapman’s. Wagner had 422 saves, a 2.31 ERA, and a lower WHIP. Chapman has the velocity and the highlight-reel moments — the 105 mph fastball, the 2016 World Series ring with the Cubs — but voters have been stingy with one-inning guys.
Chapman’s also got off-field baggage that might give some voters pause. He served two suspensions under MLB’s domestic violence policy, one in 2016 and another in 2022. That’s the kind of thing that doesn’t go away when writers fill out their ballots.
For now, Chapman is focused on the present. And the present includes trade rumors, because of course it does. The Red Sox are hovering around .500 and sitting a few games back in the Wild Card race. Contending teams always need bullpen help, and a lefty who can still hit 102 mph in August is a valuable commodity. But Boston hasn’t decided to sell yet. They’ve been playing better lately, and ownership might be leaning toward making a push.
Either way, Chapman’s legacy is taking shape. Whether he finishes this season in Boston or somewhere else, he’s already put together one of the most dominant stretches of relief pitching the game has seen. The Hall of Fame question is real now. And he’s got a few more seasons to make the case stronger.
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