Chapman Claims Second Straight Reliever Of Month Award For Yankees

Aroldis Chapman fires one in earlier this season. Photo by Jason Schott.

Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has been voted the American League Reliever of the Month for August, and Felipe Vázquez of the Pittsburgh Pirates has been named the National League Reliever of the Month honors.


Chapman claimed his fifth career monthly honor, and is now tied with Edwin Díaz for the most Reliever of the Month Awards since 2005. In addition, the hard-throwing All-Star is the second consecutive Yankees reliever to receive monthly honors, following his bullpen-mate Tommy Kahnle. It marks the first time since the award’s inception that two different relievers from the same Club won in consecutive months.

Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees (@_thecubanmissile54)
• The All-Star made 11 scoreless appearances for the Yankees, logging 17 strikeouts and nine saves. Over the course of his dominant month, permitted just three hits and five walks.
• With his 30th save in 2019 on August 5th against the Baltimore Orioles, became the 17th pitcher since 1969 to log 30-or-more saves in at least seven seasons. Joined Craig Kimbrel (eight) as the only active pitchers to accomplish the feat.
• Registered his 36th save of the season on August 26th against the Seattle Mariners, his most since also tallying 36 saves in 2016. Enters play today two saves shy of his personal record of 38 set during the
2013 campaign.
• Became the fourth pitcher (fifth time) since 1969 to not give up a run while recording at least nine saves and 17 strikeouts in the month of August, joining Corey Knebel (2017), Kimbrel (2013 & 2011) and Francisco Rodríguez (2006).

Vázquez was awarded his first career Reliever of the Month Award, and joined Jose Mesa (April 2005), Joel Hanrahan (June 2011) and Jason Grilli (April-May 2013) as the only Pirate winners since Reliever of the Month began in 2005. 

Felipe Vázquez, Pittsburgh Pirates (@nightmare_73)
• The All-Star made 10 appearances for the Pirates, logging three saves and a perfect 3-0 record. Tallied 11 strikeouts while permitting just four hits and one walk across 10.1 innings pitched.
• Collected his 24th save of the season on August 29th against the Colorado Rockies and now has 82 saves over the course of his career. Is tied with Hanrahan for fifth-most in Club history.
• On August 25th against the Cincinnati Reds, notched his 17th career save of more than 1.0 inning pitched and his sixth of the 2019 season. Julian Tavarez was the last Pirates reliever to post more than five such saves in a single campaign, delivering seven in 2003.
• With a 2019 ERA of 1.65, Vázquez is on pace to become the first left-handed pitcher in franchise history, and the sixth National Leaguer since saves became an official statistic in 1969 (ninth time), to log at least 20 saves while recording an ERA of 1.65-or-lower.

Others receiving votes for NL Reliever of the Month included Luis Perdomo (1-0, 0.68 ERA, 13.1 IP, 13 SO) and All-Star Kirby Yates (13 G, 2.31 ERA, 8 SV, 20 SO) of the San Diego Padres; Jeurys Familia (2-1, 1.88 ERA, 14.1 IP, 19 SO) and Justin Wilson (2-0, 0.79 ERA, 11.1 IP, 16 SO) of the New York Mets; Luke Jackson (3-0, 1.88 ERA, 14 G, 21 SO) of the Atlanta Braves; and Michael Lorenzen (14 G, 1.80 ERA, 19 SO, 9 H) and Robert Stephenson (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 12 SO, 3 BB) of the Cincinnati Reds.

Others receiving votes for AL Reliever of the Month included All-Star Liam Hendriks (11 G, 0.73 ERA, 8 SV, 23 SO) of the Oakland Athletics; Nick Anderson (2-0, 0.77 ERA, 22 SO, 0 BB), who was in his first month with the Tampa Bay Rays; Tyler Duffey (3-0, 0.00 ERA, 13 G, 17 SO) and Trevor May (2-0, 0.68 ERA, 13.1 IP, 19 SO) of the Minnesota Twins; and Chapman’s bullpen-mate Zack Britton (11 G, 0.87 ERA, 9 SO, 3 H).

The National League Reliever of the Month presented by The Hartford, Felipe Vázquez, and the American League Reliever of the Month presented by The Hartford, Aroldis Chapman, will each receive a specially designed plaque, suitably engraved, for their accomplishments. The Hartford, the Official Business Insurance & Employee Benefits Sponsor of MLB, has presented baseball’s annual Relievers of the Year Awards since 2015. The Hartford Presents the 2019 Relievers of the Year, named in honor of Mariano Rivera (American League) and Trevor Hoffman (National League), will again be presented during the World Series.