Aroldis Chapman Set to Make Major League Debut

The Cincinnati Reds added another arm to their bullpen with the call up of fireball throwing Aroldis Chapman from the Triple A Louisville Bats. Adding Aroldis Chapman to the roster before late season roster expansion allows the Cincinnati Reds to have Aroldis Chapman available for the playoffs. In order to be eligible for the playoffs, the latest a player can be added to the roster is August 31st.

Aroldis Chapman vs. Steve Strasburg
Although, Aroldis Chapman has a flame thrower of an arm, he has not quite put up the numbers that Steve Strasburg has in the Minor Leagues. Aroldis picked up 8 saves and was 9-6 with an ERA of 3.57 overall in the minor league system. However, he has has some very strong outings the last couple of times that he pitched, giving up no earned runs in his last 8 appearances. Chapman had a paltry 1.74 ERA while pitching for the Louisvile Bats, which shows that he has been steadily improving as the season progressed.

In spring training, Aroldis Chapman was in the running for a 5-spot in the starting pitching rotation for the big league club. Management decided to allow Aroldis to start at Triple A to gain some more professional experience. The move could pay off for the Cincinnati Reds late in the season. If Aroldis is able to show some success in the big leagues during the month of September, then he may be on the roster as the Reds make their playoff run.

Aroldis Chapman is a couple of years younger than Steve Strasburg, and may have another year or two of development ahead of him. Steve Strasburg has been sidelined due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament, and will need Tommy John surgery. Strasburg will likely have to wait until the 2012 season before returning to the mound. Look for the Reds to be careful on how they handle Aroldis Chapman's playing time as there is still a lot of room for Chapman to blossom into an ace pitcher.

Will Aroldis Chapman make the playoff roster?
Although he is now eligible for the playoffs, there is no guarantee that he will make the team for what is sure to be a strong playoff run. As of the end of August the Cincinnati Reds hold a commanding lead in the National League Central Division, six games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Aroldis Chapman brings a fresh arm to the bullpen and routinely hits triple digits with his fast ball. During one game earlier this week Aroldis Chapman hit 105 MPH on the radar gun. His slider tops out in the low 90s which is impressive for such a young pitcher.

The Reds take the field at Great American Ballpark to open a series against the Milwaukee Brewers to start the month of September.