"Insane"; "Still throwing 104 is wild" – MLB fans shocked to see Aroldis Chapman in the top 5 for fastest pitches of 2024

Relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman has played in MLB for a long time, and for a lot of teams. However, one thing that has - apparently - remained consistent is his ability to throw heat.

On Sunday, MLB published a list of the fastest pitches thrown in the 2024 season. Although Angels closer Ben Joyce tops the first three places, Chapman, who is twelve years older than Joyce, was responsible for the fourth-hardest pitch of the year.

"These guys are coming in hot. (MLB x @GoogleCloud)" - MLB

Although Chapman is known for his velocity, some fans were surprised to see that the 36 year-old can still toss some heat. Several fans took to commenting beneath MLB's post, exhibiting their surprise at Chapman's continued prowess.

In 2010, while Chapman was playing for the Cincinnati Reds, the closer threw a pitch that registered at 105.8 miles per hour. While it has been disputed by some, Aroldis Chapman is largely accredited with delivering the fastest pitch in MLB history, albeit when he was 22 years of age.

"Genuinely how the hell does Chapman still do it 10 years on" - asked a fan

"Ben Joyce is like prime Chapman" - reasoned a commenter

"Chapman more impressive bc he’s 40 years old" - supported another

A fifteen-year veteran of MLB, the Pittsburgh Pirates are the sixth club that Chapman has played for since defecting from his native Cuba. A seven-time All-Star and former reliever of the year, Chapman's career has also been blemished by off-field issues, such as a domestic violence scandal in 2015.

"He is not human" - claimed one fan

"I cannot believe Aroldis Chapman is still doing this!" - exclaimed another

Ben Joyce of the Los Angeles Angels also received significant praise from commenters. Joyce, 23, threw a 104.7-mile-per-hour pitch against the Mets on August 2, a delivery that was determined to be the fastest in MLB this year.

Aroldis Chapman remains a bullpen workhorse

Though his days of putting up sub-two ERA numbers are likely over, Chapman has shown that his arm retains much of the power that it did years ago. In late June, Chapman set the record for strikeouts by a left-handed reliever after notching his 1,197th career K. After the game, Chapman told MLB.com:

“It's the result of hard work through the years. You put in hard work every day, and thank God that I can achieve a milestone like this."

A very familiar face around MLB, the fact that Aroldis Chapman can still throw so hard is nothing short of remarkable.