Boston Red Sox
Chapman passed Hoyt Wilhelm for the most all-time strikeouts as a reliever with his 1,364th on Friday night.
Aroldis Chapman has struck out 118 batters since joining the Red Sox in 2025. AP Photo/William Liang
July 4, 2026 | 5:41 PM
3 minutes to read
Amid a chaotic season for the team, Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman achieved a historic milestone against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
Chapman, 38, passed Hoyt Wilhelm, who played for 21 seasons in the majors from 1952-72, for the most strikeouts all-time by a relief pitcher.
Chapman struck out Angels third baseman Denzer Guzman for the first out of the bottom of the ninth in a save situation to record his 1,364th career MLB strikeout.
Chapman, a native of Cuba, went on to record the save on a double play to secure the Red Sox’ 5-2 series-opening victory in Anaheim.
A sign of the times, and Chapman’s utter dominance on the mound, Chapman threw just 847 innings to top Wilhelm.
Wilhelm, a Baseball Hall of Famer, needed 1,872.1 innings pitched to achieve the 1,363 mark.
After his historic performance, Chapman said he felt fulfilled.
“I feel very happy, very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish,” he said through a translator. “I just feel very satisfied right now.”
Sounds like they celebrated Aroldis Chapman after the game with a video montage from his entire career.
He also has no clue what’s he going to do with the baseball that made him the strikeout king for all relievers😂 pic.twitter.com/HXSDUW8KPU
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) July 4, 2026
The Red Sox were prepared for Chapman to eventually break the strikeout record. The team played a video montage in the clubhouse to celebrate, which showed highlights from the 17-year MLB veteran’s career.
Boston is Chapman’s seventh team since debuting with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010 at 22 years old.
The Red Sox kept the strikeout ball and tossed it into the dugout to give to Chapman. He said he appreciated the gesture and that the ball will join a large collection of other special items from his baseball career.
“It definitely means a lot to me,” Chapman said. “I have balls from important saves that I’ve had in my career stowed away in a special place to be able to look back on one day. So yeah, it was super important for me.”
Chapman has only pitched eight times since the beginning of June, so perhaps it took him longer than he imagined it would have to break the record. Nevertheless, he said he managed to keep his anticipation at bay.
“I was just focused on doing the job day in and day out over the course of the last few weeks,” Chapman said. “Had some highs and some lows, but just tried to stay positive throughout, keep a positive mindset, and know that when God wants it to happen, it’s gonna happen. God wanted it to happen today, and it did.”
Chapman made himself a household name in the baseball world as a rookie when he broke, and still holds, MLB’s record for the fastest pitch of all time at 105.8 miles per hour. He’s not throwing as hard this year as he nears 40 years of age, but he has hit 100+ plenty of times since signing with the Red Sox, and is the hardest thrower in franchise history.
Additionally, Chapman continues to be one of the league’s hardest throwers despite being surrounded by a plethora of young arms who consistently throw triple digits. Chapman’s 97.5 fastball velocity ranks in the 91st percentile so far this season, according to Baseball Savant.
Despite Chapman’s efforts in a Red Sox uniform over the last two seasons, he reportedly could be on the trade block if and when the organization chooses to sell at the trade deadline (Aug. 3). ESPN’s Buster Olney was the latest MLB insider to indicate such during a recent television spot, noting how Boston has a 13 percent chance to make the playoffs.
Chapman made his eighth All-Star team as a member of the Red Sox last season, and could very well make his ninth this year. He’s also a two-time World Series champion, winning with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and the Texas Rangers in 2023.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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