Chapman saves and extends his historic dominance on MLB Opening Day

The star Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman recorded the 368th save of his career this Thursday during the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) Opening Day, closing the 3-0 victory for the Boston Red Sox against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

With that performance, according to journalist Francys Romero on Facebook, the Holguin closer, at 38 years old, tied with Jonathan Papelbon for the 11th position on the all-time saves list in Major League Baseball history. Chapman entered in the ninth inning and retired the side in order, sealing the first shutout for the Red Sox on Opening Day since 2015.

The game featured Garrett Crochet as the main figure, who placed second in the 2025 Cy Young voting and dominated the Cincinnati lineup for most of the match.

His opponent on the mound was Andrew Abbott, the Reds' starter. Boston's three runs came in the seventh inning: a double by Marcelo Mayer as a pinch-hitter opened the scoring, a bunt by Carlos Narváez advanced the runners, and an RBI single by Ceddanne Rafaela sealed the final score.

The milestone carries special symbolism: Chapman began his MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010, after defecting from Cuba in 2009, and served as the closer for that franchise during his early seasons. This Thursday, he closed the game against his former team in the same stadium where he made his Major League debut.

Chapman's figures on Opening Days throughout his career reflect extraordinary consistency. Journalist Francys Romero summarized it this way: "The Missile continues to allow no runs on Opening Day: 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0.00 ERA, 13 K." Thirteen strikeouts recorded, only two hits allowed, and no runs in all of his Opening Day games in Major League Baseball.

Chapman reaches this milestone supported by a historic 2025 season that was the best of his career. He led all MLB relievers with an ERA of 1.15, was named American League Reliever of the Year, and completed his ninth season with 30 or more saves, accumulating a total of 32. Additionally, he set the Red Sox record with 16 consecutive scoreless appearances, the third longest streak since 1901 in Major League Baseball history.

In the historic MLB saves list, Chapman now ranks 11th alongside Papelbon, with 368 saves. Above him are Joe Nathan (377), Dennis Eckersley (390), Billy Wagner (422), John Franco (424), Francisco Rodríguez (437), Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen, Lee Smith (478), Trevor Hoffman (601), and the all-time leader Mariano Rivera, with 652. The fact that he ties with Papelbon, a former player for the Red Sox, adds another level of symbolism, as the ex-pitcher accumulated most of his saves with that franchise from 2005 to 2016.

For the 2026 season, Chapman with a mutual option for 2027, establishing himself as the starting closer for Boston at 38 years old and with 16 seasons in Major League Baseball. With 368 saves and a career ERA of 2.52 in 863 games, the Holguin native continues to write his name in baseball history, one save at a time.