The concern seems silly now, worrying about Aroldis Chapman’s fastball velocity. Aaron Boone laughed about it, because of what he has seen since the spring, how his closer has alleviated doubts with a brilliant start to his season.
“Any time we don’t see 100 or 100-plus [mph] out of Chapman, it’s a story, which is a little bit funny,” manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday before the Yankees hosted the Padres. “If he’s 96 or 97, it’s like, ‘Is he OK?’ ”
Early on this season, there were questions. There were worries. The 31-year-old Chapman’s fastball wasn’t living in the triple digits — his velocity in the mid-90s, unheard of for the pitcher nicknamed the “Cuban Missile.