Red Sox's Aroldis Chapman Makes History With 30th Save of Season

The 38-year-old keeps defying Father Time

Aug 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) warms up with a football before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was yet another impressive comeback win for the Boston Red Sox on Monday, and Aroldis Chapman closed it with an exclamation mark.

After scoring three runs in the last two innings to take a 4-2 lead over the Miami Marlins, Chapman came in for his 32nd save opportunity of the year. Despite allowing a leadoff baserunner, the 38-year-old buckled down and retired the side without much incident.

Not only did that secure the Red Sox's fourth win in a row (all of which required comebacks, by the way), but it also meant Chapman joined a very exclusive list among Major League Baseball save artists.

How Chapman's 30th save added him to history books

Aug 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) comes in to pitch the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to research from Francys Romero and Baseball Reference, Chapman became the fourth closer in MLB history with 10-plus seasons of 30 or more saves on Monday. The other three are Mariano Rivera, who did it 15 times; Trevor Hoffman, with 14; and Lee Smith, with 10.

Racking up saves seems more impressive with more teams, and Chapman has done a lot of moving around in his career. He's only put up 30-save seasons for the Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds, but he's pitched for four other teams along the way. Smith pitched for eight teams of his own, a real contrast to Rivera and Hoffman and their long tenures.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, got back to 13 games over .500 for just the second time this season. They're firing on all cylinders, and even without the injured Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten, their bullpen continues to be one of the best things about the team.

Erik Miller put up a massive zero in the eighth despite an ugly error in left field from Jarren Duran, setting the stage for Anthony Seigler to put a go-ahead RBI triple into the right-field corner. An insurance run on a single from Nick Sogard was just that finishing touch that so many Red Sox wins of late have had.

Chapman's renaissance for the Red Sox over the last two years has been something to behold. This team's renaissance since June 25 has, too.