Aroldis Chapman
Vital Statistics:
Born: Feb. 28, 1988
Hometown: Holguin Province, Cuba
Height: 6-4
Weight: 185
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Family: Daughter, Ashanti Brianna, was left behind in Cuba, as well as his girlfriend, father, mother and two sisters.
Primary position: Pitcher
Before The Bigs:
- Debuted with Cuban team Holguin in 2005-06, going 3-5 with a 4.33 ERA, and saved seven games while leading the league in strikeouts the following season at age 18, and again the next season, 2007-08.
- Played for Cuba in the 2006 World Junior Championship, and in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, going 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA, striking out eight in 6.1 IP.
- Defected from Cuba before the 2009 World Port Tournament in Amsterdam, and established residency in Andorra, allowing him to become a free agent.
- Signed with the Cincinnati Reds on Jan. 11, 2010, for six years and $30.25 million.
American Career:
- After showing promise in big-league spring training, the Reds sent him to Triple-A Louisville to start the 2010 season.
- Went 9-6 with a 3.57 ERA in Louisville, starting 13 games before being converted to a reliever with an eye on helping the big-league club in a pennant race, and allowing them to save innings on his arm.
- Called up on Aug. 31, 2010, and debuted by throwing a scoreless inning against the Milwaukee Brewers, throwing a 102 mph fastball in the process.
- Picked up his first major-league win in his second start on Sept. 1 with another scoreless inning.
