Who said pitchers aren’t athletes?
We already knew about Aroldis Chapman‘s blazing fastball and his excessive speed on the mound, but we didn’t know about his excessive speed in the 100-yard-dash. According to George A. King of the NY Post and people who watched Chapman work out with the Reds, the soon-to-be 28-year-old might just be the best athlete in the major leagues.
King notes that according to someone familiar with Chapman’s athletic ability, Chapman would beat the Reds’ Billy Hamilton in the 100-yard-dash. Hamilton’s considered to be one of the fastest guys in baseball, evidenced by his 113 stolen bases over the last two years.
Don’t let Chapman’s lanky 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame fool you – he can also outdo you in the weight-room. King says that other Reds players would avoid working out when Chapman was lifting because they didn’t want to be embarrassed by his strength.
Chapman’s athletic prowess likely explains why he’s only been on the disabled list once in his six-year career. His pitching motion is very loose, right up until he unleashes the heat. Also, he’s been used for mostly one inning throughout his career. King spoke with an “NL pitching guru” who said Chapman’s stuff usually diminishes around 20 pitches.
We used to hear stories about Mariano Rivera‘s athletic ability. Many people said he was the best athlete on the team, and you could see glimpses of that when he used to shag fly balls in the outfield everyday. Unfortunately, we never got to see Rivera play centerfield during a real game.
With Spring Training set to start tomorrow, we’ll get to see Chapman in pinstripes for the first time. Wouldn’t a foot-race between Chapman, Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury be fun to watch?
