Aroldis Chapman could sneak into the NL ROY conversation.
Cincinnati fans have something to be excited about — Aroldis Chapman has officially arrived. The 6’4 lefty threw two scoreless innings today, while striking out three and yielding one hit and one walk. Chapman topped out at 102 mph and hurled 26 pitches total, 15 going for strikes.
Chapman was only facing the Royals, but he still had a very successful debut. Stay tuned for velocity reports. And if you are in a keeper league, grab him now. By the time ESPN and the MLB Channel start airing today’s highlights, it will be too late.
The Cuban import is rated by Baseball Prospectus as the tenth best prospect in baseball. That puts him ahead of Kyle Drabek, Brian Matusz, Wade Davis and Madison Bumgarner. Conventional wisdom says that Chapman would be best served by spending a season in the minor leagues, but if he shows well throughout spring, don’t completely write him off. He is competing against some very average arms for the five-slot, so don’t be shocked if he wins a job.
If the Reds exercise caution and start Chapman in the minors, look for him to spend roughly half a season dominating minor leaguers before he gets the call. Either way, he offers value in 2010. Here’s the first real scouting report on Chapman from MLB Fanhouse.
