TAMPA, Fla. – For obvious reasons, no pitcher throws as hard early in spring training as they do in the regular season.
Just don’t tell that to Tyler Wade.
The left-handed hitting shortstop prospect was one of four Yankees to face Aroldis Chapman in the closer’s first live batting practice session of the spring Monday morning, and he smiled when a questioner began his query with: “At this point he’s not throwing his usual 101, 102 ... ”
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“It felt like it,” Wade laughed. “I couldn’t even imagine (what it’s like), especially being a left-handed hitter.”
Chapman, in the 25-pitch session, also faced Ben Gamel, a left-handed hitting outfielder, Jorge Mateo, a righty-hitting shortstop, and Cesar Puello, a right-handed hitting outfielder.
The 21-year-old Wade described Chapman’s fastball as “a blur” and “hard to track,” though Dellin Betances, who along with Andrew Miller stuck around to watch the lefthander throw after their live BP sessions, was impressed with more than just that.
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“His secondary (pitches) are as good as his fastball,” said Betances, who faced hitters for the second time this spring. “I guess he just doesn’t use it as much because he doesn’t need to when he’s throwing that hard, but I was impressed with secondary pitches. His changeup was really good.”
Chapman, awaiting word from Major League Baseball on a possible suspension relating to an alleged domestic abuse incident from last October — a decision that is expected any day, perhaps as soon as Monday afternoon — went 33-for-36 in save chances with a 1.63 ERA last season with the Reds.
Chapman, with Miller and Betances, are expected to anchor one of baseball’s best, if not the best, bullpens this season.
- Newsday