New York Yankees 2020 Season Preview: Aroldis Chapman

New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman
Oct 9, 2018; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) pitches during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox in game four of the 2018 ALDS playoff baseball series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Aroldis Chapman was arguably the New York Yankees best reliever in 2019. Primarily the closer, he racked up 37 saves and had a 3-2 record with a 2.21 ERA. In 57 innings, he struck out 85 and had a 1.105 WHIP.

What he accomplished over the 2019 season often gets overlooked due to how the season ended. He gave up the walk-off home run to Jose Altuve in the ALCS that sent the Astros to the World Series. For all we know, the Astros could’ve been cheating, but it wasn’t a good pitch by any means.

However, it happens to all relievers. There are always times where even the best of pitchers give up a big hit. In 2019, Chapman was actually named the reliever of the year. You can’t overlook what he accomplished that season as he was a massive part of the Yankees 103 wins.

2020 Expectations:

The Yankees need Chapman to be just as good in 2020 as he was in 2019. It’s so important these days for all teams to have a good reliever.

I guess it’s a good problem to have, but there have been times over the past few seasons where he doesn’t pitch much because the Yankees are frequently winning and by a lot. Chapman does better in a rhythm, and long rests often lead to him struggling when he finally pitches again. If they could find ways to throw him more, even in blowouts, that would be beneficial for all parties. He only pitched in 60 games last season.

The team needs him to go in there and throw gas, then keep batters guessing with the offspeed. If he can keep his ERA around 2.20, that would be great.

The Yankees are expecting big things out of Chapman again in 2020.