The Yankees’ struggles continued on Wednesday night with their fifth straight loss, and Aroldis Chapman’s tough stretch also remained.
The flamethrowing lefty closer hardly looked like his typical self, averaging 97 mph on his fastball and allowing a run and two walks in 0.2 innings of work, as he continues to struggle to find his way since coming off the IL.
Boone doesn’t believe Chapman’s problems are a health issue, although he battled elbow inflammation last month and had a lingering fingernail problem earlier in the season, but Boone points to Chapman’s delivery, which has appeared to be as inconsistent as the Yankees themselves in 2021.
“Syncing him up mechanically consistently,” Boone said when asked what Chapman’s issue has been of late. “It’s obviously unique, and what’s made him so special is how special the delivery is, and how that kinetic chain makes him so explosive.”
Many pitching experts and coaches have pointed to Chapman’s mechanics when discussing optimal deliveries to maximize velocity, but it’s been a struggle for Chapman to maintain a consistent delivery this season. When he returned from the IL, he focused on standing more upright before beginning his delivery, but that hasn’t been enough to bring the rest of his motion together, as he allowed a rocket 114 mph home run to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on Wednesday night, the eighth home run surrendered this season, which is a career high.
Coming into this season, Aroldis Chapman had never allowed a 107+ mph HR in the Statcast Era (since 2015).
— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) September 9, 2021
He's now allowed 5 HR of 109+ mph in 2021, now led by Vlad Jr.'s 114.3 mph rocket.
It also marked the 13th appearance this season that he has allowed at least one run, which tied a career high.
Chapman was historically dominant to begin the season, and has been frustratingly inconsistent ever since. With Jonathan Loaisiga on the IL and Zack Britton’s season over, the Yankees need Chapman to find his early-season form. But that won’t happen if he can’t get his mechanics aligned again.
“It’s been a little bit of an issue syncing it up throughout the year, and that’s where he’s had some of the ups and downs throughout the year, whether it be stuff or command,” Boone said. “But we just gotta keep working at getting him in a good spot.”
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