Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban closer for the Boston Red Sox, etched his name into the history books of baseball this Sunday by reaching 400 saves in his Major League career, becoming the ninth reliever to achieve this milestone since 1969, when the save became an official MLB statistic.
The milestone was sealed in the most characteristic way of "The Missile": a pitch at 101.0 MPH that encapsulates in a single throw the career of one of the fastest pitchers in baseball history, according to MLB information.
Chapman thus joins an exclusive group of only nine relief pitchers who have crossed that threshold since the save became an official statistic. From this select club, four are already immortalized in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown: Mariano Rivera (652 SV), Trevor Hoffman (601 SV), Lee Smith (478 SV), and Billy Wagner (422 SV).
The 2026 season has been the most historic of the Cuban's career. Just two months ago, on July 3rd, Chapman broke the historic strikeout record for a relief pitcher in MLB, surpassing Hoyt Wilhelm — a record that had stood for over 50 years — by achieving his 1,364th strikeout as a relief pitcher in the ninth inning against the Angels, striking out Denzer Guzman.
The climb up the historical saves list this year has been dizzying. Chapman started the season with 368 saves, tied with Jonathan Papelbon for 11th place all-time. By May, he had already accumulated 374 saves, and on July 25, he surpassed Dennis Eckersley to secure ninth place with his 391st save. On September 4, he reached 399, and this Sunday, he completed the milestone.
Throughout the season, the left-hander has maintained elite numbers: an earned run average of 1.81, with 58 strikeouts and 20 walks in 44.2 innings pitched by the time of his 30th save of the season, recorded on August 24 against the Marlins.
Originally from Holguín, Chapman abandoned the Cuban delegation during a tournament in Rotterdam in 2009 and was signed by the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he made his MLB debut in 2010. Since then, he has donned the jerseys of the Yankees, Cubs, Royals, and Pirates before arriving in Boston, where the Red Sox bet on his longevity by extending his contract in September 2025. That bet has proven to be more than justified.
Chapman also secured a lucrative option for the 2027 season by reaching the required threshold for activations, ensuring at least one more year of high-level baseball for the Cuban closer.
With a career ERA of 2.52 in over 863 appearances as a reliever, Chapman not only accumulates historic numbers but does so at a pace that no other active pitcher can match. The question beginning to echo in baseball circles is not if, but when "The Missile" will end up in Cooperstown alongside the four fellow members of the roster who already have their plaque in the Hall of Fame.
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