Aroldis Chapman breaks all-time strikeout record among relievers

Since entering MLB in 2010, Aroldis Chapman has been pumping a level of heat unseen in MLB history. Let’s just say the strikeouts have followed.

With a strikeout of Denzer Guzman in the ninth inning of Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels, the Boston Red Sox closer became the MLB all-time leader in strikeouts among relievers with 1,364 in his career. He broke a tie with Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm.

He got there with, naturally, a fastball.

Chapman doesn’t throw with the 106 mph velocity that set a record early in his career anymore, but he has remained effective into his age-38 season. Friday was his 17th save of the season, and a scoreless inning lowered his ERA to 2.10.

That career has spanned seven different teams, with the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds as the primary employer of Chapman’s services. He has been named to eight All-Star teams and won two World Series rings with the 2016 Chicago Cubs and 2023 Texas Rangers.

It adds up to a career that could see Chapman getting a plaque in Cooperstown several years from now, though his case figures to be an interesting bellweather for his generation of top relievers. The last Hall of Fame reliever to pitch in MLB was Mariano Rivera in 2013.

MLB all-time strikeout leaders in relief

1. Aroldis Chapman, 1,364

2. Hoyt Wilhelm, 1,363

3. Goose Gossage, 1,340

4. Kenley Jansen, 1,285

5. Craig Kimbrel, 1,285

6. Lee Smith, 1,225

7. Billy Wagner, 1,196

8. Rollie Fingers, 1,183

9. David Robertson, 1,175

10. Jesse Orosco, 1,169