The Boston Red Sox are getting a historic season from Aroldis Chapman and it’s at least somewhat shocking to hear that a conversation in Spring Training is a massive reason why this is the case.

Let’s take a step back.

ESPN’s Buster Olney joined the ESPN Podcast and shared a wild story that went viral about the fact that Chapman just started trying to spot his fastball this season after a conversation with catcher Connor Wong in Spring Training thanks to the PitchCom.

Sep 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-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.”

Fellow Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez joined “Foul Territory” and was asked about the story and confirmed it.

“It’s kind of crazy, bro,” Narváez said. “Because I mean, when you ask a catcher, you want to call a fastball away, fastball in, fastball up and in, especially with the PitchCom. So, now, I mean he’s been in the league for a while and he’s just saying like ‘Okay, I’m actually locating my fastball now. In when I want it and away when I want it.’ It’s like ‘Okay, I didn’t know why you didn’t before but let’s do it.’ He’s pitching with conviction now and every pitch has an intent. It was a big adjustment for him, bro.”

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