The Boston Red Sox have been fortunate to have Aroldis Chapman as the team’s closer throughout the season.

Chapman signed on as a free agent this past offseason quickly to a one-year deal after a solid year with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had a 3.79 ERA across 68 appearances last year for the Pirates and noted tat the time that there wasn’t interest from Pittsburgh in a return. That worked out in Boston’s favor, though. He signed a one-year deal with Boston and has an eye-popping 1.04 ERA in 57 appearances to go along with a 74-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 52 innings pitched. Chapman was an All-Star for the eighth time in his legendary career.

The lefty has a real shot at winning the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award for the second time in his career.

It’s been interesting to see Chapman have seemingly the best year of his career at 37 years old. Before this season, Chapman’s career best WHIP was 0.809. Right now, it’s down at 0.673. Part of the reason why that has been the case throughout the season has been significantly better command than expected. For example, last year he allowed 39 walks in 68 outings. He’s at just 14 right now in 57 appearnaces.

Thats’s a big drop off and ESPN’s Buster Olney recently joined the ESPN Podcast and talked about how Connor Wong and PitchCom changed things for him in Spring Training.

Aug 27, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images / James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

“Apparently in spring training this year, Connor Wong was catching him in a game,” Olney begins. “And as you know, Aroldis Chapman’s command during the course of his career has been kind of spotty, right? But Connor Wong is catching him, and for years Aroldis Chapman’s one of those guys who, when he’s on the mound, the catcher basically is like, might as well have just waved his hands, just throw your fastball, right? And he just throws it down the middle…

“Connor Wong is using PitchCom and he pushes on his PitchCom ‘inside fastball.’ And the light bulb goes off over Chapman’s head,” Olney explains. “And he tells Connor Wong and (game planning and run prevention coach Jason) Varitek like, ‘Wow. I’ve never thought about spotting my fastball. I just threw it to home plate.’ But this is the first time like, verbally, he hears ‘inside fastball’ or subsequently ‘outside fastball.’ And so it’s that whole thing of … ‘aim small, miss small.’ That’s what Chapman has done this year. After hearing those words on PitchCom from Connor Wong and all of a sudden, his whole perspective has changed and we have this new, dominant pitcher in his late 30s.”

Now, that’s pretty nuts, right? After 15 years and and seven All-Star appearances, it’s wild that something seemingly small in Spring Training led to an eighth All-Star nod and potentially the best season of Chapman’s career.

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