Aroldis Chapman Impresses Yankees In First Bullpen Session

Aroldis Chapman‘s light-speed fastball was highly advertised, but the Yankees were more than impressed when they saw it live on Saturday morning.

All eyes were on Chapman, and not Andrew Miller, the reigning American League reliever of the year award winner standing only 20 feet from the newly acquired closer.

“It comes out extremely hot; it’s nice and easy. His delivery is smooth. He’s rare…There’s no one walking around that does what he does.”-Brian McCann

Chapman threw 26 pitches to McCann yesterday, drawing a large crowd made up of media and team officials. His first bullpen session as a Yankee went very smoothly. His fastballs sounded like gunshots as they popped into McCann’s glove while his coaches stood five feet behind the mound.

”I was just getting sun,” Cashman joked. ”I think the fans should be excited by the guys at the back of our bullpen.”

During the first week of Spring Training, Chapman is certainly in the spotlight for two reasons. 1)He’s arguably the most dominant closer in Major League Baseball and 2) there is a possible suspension hanging over him because of an alleged domestic violence incident last October. He said Saturday that he’s not worried about the possibility of starting the season unable to pitch, but the newest question is: will he be able to prepare for 2016?

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said on Friday that he expects to have a decision within a few days on two of Chapman’s case under baseball’s new domestic violence policy, but according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the star closer may face a Spring Training ban.

"“I was told that, for example, Manfred can structure the penalty as he sees fit, which could mean he suspends Chapman not just from regular-season games, but could ban him from spring training workouts and/or games in which fans are charged for admission. As for the regular season, at the request of the club and with the consent of the Commissioner’s Office, the player may participate in non-public workouts or at the club’s spring training facility. Thus, it is possible Chapman’s preparation could be disrupted enough that his ban could extend beyond the suspension and until his arm and body are ready for the regular season. Chapman has said he would appeal any suspension, and an appeal would be heard by the independent arbitrator Frederic Horowitz, who ruled to uphold Alex Rodriguez’s one-year suspension for his ties to Biogenesis.”- Joel Sherman"

Again, Chapman has said he will immediately appeal any suspension. Unfortunately for the Yankees, he will not be able to play during the appeal of a domestic violence suspension, but he would be allowed to participate in team activities such as Spring Training.

Chapman as he demonstrated with his comments on Thursday that he doesn’t believe that he did anything wrong to deserve a suspension. We can only wait and see.

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