Cincinnati Reds superstar Aroldis “The Cuban Missile” made his Cactus League debut today in Goodyear, Arizona. Chapman is trying to finally break into the starting rotation. In his 2013 training camp debut against the Colorado Rockies, he pitched two innings, struck out one and gave up no runs. Of his 23 pitches, 19 were strikes.
Mark Sheldon of MLB.com said that Chapman will need to diversify his pitches if he wants to become a starter. Chapman purposely dropped some speed on his pitches, threw in the lower 90s and still got batters out.
Aroldis has earned his reputation by throwing a wicked fastball more than a 100 mph. As a starter, he will need to add additional pitches to his arsenal. Critics of Chapman aren’t convinced that Chapman is a legitimate starter. Many believe he is the next great closer.
The topic has created heated comments on the Eddie and Tracy show, a local Cincinnati radio program that takes regular calls from fans about the Reds and Bengals.
Reds management and fans will need to see more out of Chapman before they decide whether he’s a starter or an “alleged” starter. Based on today’s effort, he made a strong argument for a starting role.
More information about Aroldis Chapman can be found at the Cincinnati Reds website.
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