Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox, one of Major League Baseball's (MLB) premier hard-throwing pitchers, has set the all-time record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher.

On July 4 (KST), in an away game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, Chapman took the mound as the final pitcher in the bottom of the 9th inning with a 5-2 lead. He struck out the leadoff hitter, Denzer Guzman, to record his 1,364th career strikeout.

With this feat, Chapman surpassed the previous record held by Hoyt Wilhelm, who played from 1952 to 1972, to become the all-time leader in strikeouts by a relief pitcher in MLB history.

Wilhelm recorded 1,610 total strikeouts in his career, with 1,363 of them coming as a relief pitcher.

After setting the milestone by striking out the first batter he faced, Chapman allowed consecutive hits to the next two batters but finished the game by inducing a double play from Jo Adell.

Born on February 28, 1988, the Cuban-born left-hander debuted in MLB in 2010 and established himself as one of the league's most prominent hard-throwing closers.

Over 890 career games, he has recorded 60 wins, 51 losses, 67 holds, 384 saves, and a 2.51 ERA. This season, he continues to perform well with 3 losses, 17 saves, and a 2.10 ERA in 27 games.

In 2010, he recorded the fastest pitch in MLB history, reaching 105.8 mph (approximately 170.3 km/h).

On this day, he once again showcased his enduring arm strength, reaching a top fastball speed of 99 mph (159 km/h).

(Photo: Yonhap News)