Yank throws 105.1 mph, is on Cubs’ radar

NEW YORK — Once a pitcher’s velocity reaches triple digits, Brian McCann was saying, there no longer seems to be much difference between 104 mph and 105 mph. Each one is a blur, so a catcher’s main concern is making sure the ball meets the glove’s pocket and not his left thumb.

Aroldis Chapman put that to the test repeatedly on Monday, as the Yankees’ flame-throwing left-hander threw the five fastest pitches recorded to date by Statcast™, including one that registered 105.1 mph. Chapman locked down his 19th save in 20 chances as the Yankees defeated the Orioles, 2-1.

“I look [at the scoreboard] every time he throws a pitch,” McCann said. “I look every time to see how hard it was. It’s incredible what he can do on the mound. You just hope you catch it right. If you catch it right, you’re fine. If you don’t, you’re in trouble.”

The 105.1-mph fastball came on Chapman’s sixth pitch to Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy, an offering that darted well out of the strike zone but drew a loud reaction from the crowd. Chapman’s previous pitch to Hardy, clocked at 104 mph, sailed past McCann to the screen for a ball.

“I noticed,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “I took a peek at the board and I saw that it was 105, yeah. … Actually, I noticed their reaction when I threw the ball, so because of that cheering, that’s when I looked back and I noticed. It was nice.”

After those two heaters, Chapman snapped off a 91-mph …

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