ARLINGTON, Texas — However high the bar already is, Dane Dunning wants it raised.
“He hit 103 today,” Dunning said Monday night. “I asked him why he didn’t hit 105.”
He, being Rangers relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman. The 103, or 105, being miles per hour. That’s the kind of never-before-seen-in-Arlington velocity Chapman has brought to the Rangers since he was acquired from the Kansas City Royals on June 30.
Chapman set a StatCast era (2015) club velocity record on Saturday with a 102.5 mph sinker vs. the Cleveland Guardians. He broke his own mark — twice — on Monday vs. the Tampa Bay Rays with two 102.8 mph sinkers. In a tied game, Chapman struck out the side in the top of the ninth inning vs. Tampa Bay and earned his first win with Texas when the Rangers walked it off in the bottom half.
Yeah, he’s started to turn heads.
“He throws his slider as hard as my fastball,” Dunning said.
Well, not quite. Dunning’s fastball averages 90.3 mph. Chapman’s slider is clocked at 88.2 mph. The fact that Chapman’s secondary off-speed pitch runs that fast is impressive enough, though.
“I love having him on our team,” Rangers third baseman Josh Jung said. “I’d be scared to face him if I was on the other team. He’s throwing the ball great ever since he’s gotten here, he’s throwing the ball well. Playing behind him is like, wow, he’s struck a lot of guys out.
“It’s like, ‘102, wow, that’s awesome.’ Thank God I don’t have to face that.”
It’s more than just velocity. The 35-year-old left-hander has pitched six scoreless innings, struck out 10 batters and allowed just two hits in six outings with the Rangers.
Chapman has helped stabilize the back end of Texas’ shaky bullpen. He debuted as the Rangers’ co-closer on Saturday and pitched a scoreless ninth vs. Cleveland for his first Texas save. Chapman and fellow southpaw Will Smith will share ninth-inning duties based on matchups and availability.
It’s a pretty neat tool at manager Bruce Bochy’s disposal.
“You’ve got one of the best closers in the game,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said of Chapman. “He’s got a tremendous resume, the stuff’s moving, he’s got a good slider, he’s throwing strikes. Of course he wants to be out there. I said he would change this club, this bullpen, and make us a much better team. He’s done that.”
