Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has had a roller coaster 2021 season. The playoffs are here and Chapman, once again, is a key piece to the postseason puzzle for the Yankees.
The All-Star closer finished the regular season with a 3.36 ERA — the second highest of his career. After a mostly dominating first half of the season, he began to struggle with his control in June. It progressed to where manager Aaron Boone gave save opportunities to other arms in the bullpen while Chapman worked through his issues.
But it appears he’s found his way again for one of the game’s best bullpens. And that’s great news for the Yankees.
“I think he looks really good,” Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka said Monday. “We have all the confidence in the world in him. Last several outings have been good. He’s been throwing a lot of strikes, getting guys out. He’s been rock solid. We trust him 100 percent.”
Going into Tuesday night’s Wild Card Game against the Red Sox, the Yankees bullpen pitched to an impressive 1.84 Earned Run Average (ERA) over the final 12 games of the regular season.
Having confidence in Chapman to close the door when his number’s called is a must for the Yankees if they’re to move forward.
