Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman is about as automatic as it gets these days.
Chapman hasn’t allowed a hit in over a month, and it’s beginning to feel like he never will. The 37-year-old closed the door yet again on Wednesday night for the Red Sox as Boston defeated the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, 3-2, behind a ninth-inning, two-run blast from Ceddanne Rafaela.
Here’s a question sort of out of nowhere: does Chapman deserve Cy Young consideration in the American League?
It’s not impossible for relievers to win the award, although it rarely happens. Los Angeles Dodgers closer Éric Gagné was the last guy to pull it off in 2003. Former Red Sox great Dennis Eckersley did it in 1992 with the Athletics.
Still, in all of the decades of Major League Baseball, only nine relievers have won the Cy Young, and only three have done so since the 1980s.
Story continues below advertisement
Chapman is certainly swimming upstream against history.
Chapman would also be competing against his own teammate (Garrett Crochet), among others, if he were to actually enter the Cy Young race in the eyes of the baseball media.
Story continues below advertisement
Gagné converted all 55 of his save opportunities during his glorious Cy Young season of 2003. It takes that kind of unbelievable perfection from a closer to even enter into consideration for the Cy, which means that Chapman’s 26 saves and two blown saves this season probably aren’t enough to sway the narrative in his direction.
However, if Chapman keeps extending his streak of batters faced without allowing a hit, the national media will have no choice but to start paying attention.
Don’t consider Chapman a current candidate for the Cy Young, but don’t forget that he has a chance to turn in one of the best seasons ever for a closer if this current hot stretch continues.
Story continues below advertisement
