With , it’s all relative.
We can talk about his four-seam fastball velocity dipping through the first month and change of the season. This is true. It has been true. In 2017, he averaged 100 MPH; in 2018, 98.7 MPH; to open 2019, 97.3. That’s certainly a difference and it’s absolutely worth noting, but a rich man can lose a lot of cash before he starts begging. It should be noted that Chapman’s still fine in the fastball department, as evidenced by the.281 xwOBA against his 2019 heater.
So, then, don’t take it as a matter of crisis that the Yankees closer is throwing his slider more.