After just 12 games in the majors, Aroldis Chapman has entered the record books.

Chapman, the hard-throwing left hander for the Cincinnati Reds, shocked everyone Friday night with a record-setting 105 mph fastball against the San Diego Padres. After being called into the game to relieve Nick Masset, Chapman immediately struck out MVP-candidate Adrian Gonzalez on three consecutive 100+ mph pitches. Soon after, Chapman faced Tony Gwynn Jr. and after a 1-2 count, he re-wrote history with a fastball that won’t soon be forgotten. Although it was called a ball, nobody cared; the only thing anyone will remember from Friday night is that a 22-year-old rookie put on the single greatest display of power pitching ever. In all, Chapman threw 25 pitches and amazingly enough, they were all fastballs over 100 mph.

With the 105-mph pitch, Chapman overtook Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers, who threw a 104.8-mph pitch back in a playoff game in 2006, as the fastest-throwing pitcher since radar guns became commonplace at MLB games in the 1980s. Also, not only did Chapman throw the fastest pitch Friday night, he also threw at least three 104-mph pitches, good for No. 3 on the fastest pitch list.

Friday night’s effort capped a long journey for Chapman, who not too long ago defected from the Cuban national team and started a bidding war among MLB teams for his services. In 2009, Chapman was a starting pitcher for the Cuban national team. However, when they participated in a tournament in the Netherlands, Chapman defected and started the process of joining MLB. Many teams were apprehensive about signing Chapman due to an inevitable bidding war that would ensue once he was declared a free agent, and there were perceived issues with his maturity level, which gave the Reds ‘ with the 10th-lowest opening day payroll ‘ an opportunity to sign the talented 6-foot-4-inch pitcher.

After signing a six-year, $30.25 million deal, Chapman began his career in the minors, wowing his teammates, opponents, coaches, reporters and everyone else who saw him play with his insane velocity and his equally deceptive slider. Chapman consistently reached triple digits on the radar gun and he even hit 105 mph with his fastball during one of his minor league games. Although everyone knew he had the talent and potential to reach those speeds, it was still astonishing to see it in a major league ballpark against a first-place, playoff-caliber team like the San Diego Padres. Barring injury, Chapman has the ability and aptitude to continue to strike out hitters with pitches too fast and devastating for hitters to catch up to for at least the next decade.

Good luck, NL Central.