ANAHEIM, Calif. — Aroldis Chapman became the major leagues’ career leader in strikeouts as a reliever Friday night, toppling a record that had stood for more than half a century.
The Boston Red Sox‘s 38-year-old left-hander didn’t do it with one of the triple-digit fastballs that have made him one of the most imposing pitchers of his generation and one of the most accomplished relievers in baseball history.
Instead, his high pitch to the Los Angeles Angels‘ Denzer Guzman was clocked at 98.6 mph — and Guzman still couldn’t get around in time.
“I feel very happy, very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “I just feel very satisfied right now.”
The strikeout was the 1,364th in Chapman’s 17-year career. It broke the record long held by Hoyt Wilhelm, the Hall of Famer whose 21-year career ended in 1972, just five days shy of his 50th birthday.
Chapman paused and soaked in the moment briefly after fanning Guzman, aware of the significance of the strikeout while also knowing he still had to get two more outs. He promptly gave up two hits but escaped the jam with a double-play grounder to secure Boston’s 5-2 win over Los Angeles and his 384th career save.
The Red Sox celebrated Chapman’s achievement in their Angel Stadium clubhouse, showing a video retrospective of his career to his younger teammates — everything from his debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2010 to his two World Series championships with the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers.
“It’s cool. We’ve been waiting for that one,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said. “What a career he’s had. The cool thing is watching the video and you’re seeing him at a young age throwing 102, and he’s still doing it. It’s just incredible.”
In his 890th major league appearance — all of them in relief — Chapman saved a deserved victory for Red Sox rookie Jake Bennett, who was making his seventh appearance.
“It’s incredible,” said Bennett, who tired in the eighth. “It’s incredible to even just be a part of a team that it happens on.”
Chapman hadn’t pitched since he tied the strikeout record Sunday while blowing a save against the New York Yankees, with whom he spent parts of seven seasons before an acrimonious split four years ago. He has pitched for seven teams since he defected from Cuba in 2009, earning eight All-Star selections and moving up to 10th on the majors’ career saves list.
This record spanned across half a century of baseball history and a fundamental change in the way pitchers are used.
Among the 14 pitchers in major league history who have recorded 1,000 strikeouts as a reliever, only Lindy McDaniel was a contemporary of Wilhelm, a World War II veteran and a pioneer in relief pitching. The crafty knuckleballer was among the first pitchers to be used regularly as what’s now known as a high-leverage reliever, coming into close games and tight situations regardless of whether the starter was tired.
Chapman has spent his entire career in those tight spots, and he has usually excelled when healthy, often with a fastball that has topped 105 mph at times.
He has even been in a renaissance since joining the Red Sox before last season. After earning American League Reliever of the Year honors in 2025 with a minuscule 1.17 ERA, he has 17 saves in 19 chances this season, still taking high-leverage assignments and usually succeeding.
“I was just focused on doing the job, day in and day out over the course of the last few weeks, getting to this point where I had the opportunity to break the record,” Chapman said. “I had some highs and some lows, but I’ve just tried to stay positive throughout.”
