Aroldis Chapman Chasing History: Tracking Red Sox Pitcher's Pursuit of Strikeout Record
Aroldis Chapman Chasing History: Tracking Red Sox Pitcher’s Pursuit of Strikeout Record originally appeared on NESN.
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At 38 years old, Aroldis Chapman is still firing fastballs past hitters and making history.
In April, Chapman passed Rich “Goose” Gossage for second place on the all-time reliever strikeout list. With 1,357 career strikeouts as of June 5, Chapman should soon pass Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm and claim the all-time record.
The #RedSox get the first win for interim manager Chad Tracy and Aroldis Chapman moves to SECOND all-time for most strikeouts by a reliever 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zgzxkRCAsG
— NESN (@NESN) April 26, 2026
Amid a rough season for the Red Sox, Chapman has been a bright spot, closing out games with brutal efficiency. How many more strikeouts does the left-hander need in order to pass Wilhelm?
MLB reliever career strikeout leaders
Chapman is just seven strikeouts away from passing Wilhelm and securing the No. 1 spot on the all-time list. Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen are the only other active pitchers in the top 10.
(Current as of June 5)
| Rank | Pitcher | Strikeouts |
| 1. | Hoyt Wilhelm | 1,363 |
| 2. | Aroldis Chapman* | 1,357 |
| 3. | Rich Gossage | 1,340 |
| 4. | Craig Kimbrel* | 1,299 |
| 5. | Kenley Jansen* | 1,297 |
| 6. | Lee Smith | 1,225 |
| 7. | Billy Wagner | 1,196 |
| 8. | Rollie Fingers | 1,183 |
| 9. | David Robertson | 1,175 |
| 10. | Jesse Orosco | 1,169 |
*Active
MLB career saves leaders
Chapman jumped into the top 10 on the all-time saves list earlier this season, and he could move ahead of Dennis Eckersley by the end of the year. He ranks third in saves among active pitchers behind Jansen and Kimbrel.
(Current as of June 5)
| Rank | Pitcher | Saves |
| 1. | Mariano Rivera | 652 |
| 2. | Trevor Hoffman | 601 |
| 3. | Kenley Jansen* | 483 |
| 4. | Lee Smith | 478 |
| 5. | Craig Kimbrel* | 440 |
| 6. | Francisco Rodriguez | 437 |
| 7. | John Franco | 424 |
| 8. | Billy Wagner | 422 |
| 9. | Dennis Eckersley | 390 |
| 10. | Aroldis Chapman* | 380 |
*Active
Red Sox upcoming schedule 2026
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| June 6 | at Yankees | 7:35 p.m. |
| June 7 | at Yankees | 1:35 p.m. |
| June 8 | at Rays | 6:40 p.m. |
| June 9 | at Rays | 6:40 p.m. |
| June 10 | at Rays | 1:10 p.m. |
| June 12 | vs. Rangers | 7:10 p.m. |
| June 13 | vs. Rangers | 4:10 p.m. |
| June 14 | vs. Rangers | 7:20 p.m. |
| June 16 | vs. Blue Jays | 6:45 p.m. |
| June 17 | vs. Blue Jays | 6:45 p.m. |
Aroldis Chapman stats 2026
(Current as of June 5)
| Category | Stat |
| Games | 20 |
| Innings pitched | 19.2 |
| W-L | 0-1 |
| ERA | 0.46 |
| WHIP | 0.92 |
| Saves | 13 |
| Strikeouts | 26 |
| Walks | 9 |
