. What was your opinion of Rube Waddell's pitching speed? I haven't had coffee yet so I'm not feeling too up to thinking a lot; but one thing for sure, fans like to see those impressive numbers, so there's likely some sales involved in it all. torrilynn - Thanks very much! Does anyone have any details on Jim Maloney's 1965 'clocking' of 99.5 mph? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. [2] In 1956, Score improved on his rookie campaign, going 209 with a 2.53 ERA and 263 strikeouts, while reducing the number of walks from 154 to 129, and allowed only 5.85 hits/9 innings, which would stand as a franchise record until it was broken by Luis Tiant's 5.30 in 1968.". Do you have a blog? Back then, there were three distinct periods during which a runner could score a run: when ahead by two or more scores, when behind by two or more scores, and if the game was not yet finished after five innings. Greatest pro athlete ever? ", If this is your first visit, be sure to I'm hoping that our Feliz comes back from surgery okayyou knowafter Tommy John Surgeryoften times guys actually GAIN velocity on their fastball! Pitchers could throw above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s) in the late 1990s. Money quote: The Popular Science article is called "Two and a Half Miles a Minute: That's the speed . I'm the type who wishes he could watch old baseball games from years ago. It wasnt Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was significant. How good is Verlander? In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. WTF man? They had to figure out a new and "cleaner" way of pitching. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? As speed is not among his talents, a move to 1st or DH is likely in the near future. Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. No one but Nolan played that many seasonsno one. Because 1) they weren't asked to max out, and 2) everyone in every sport is stronger and faster, more dynamic today than yesterday; why would pitchers be any different? 23-24 year olds The average fastball for 23-24 year olds is about 90 miles per hour. Do you have a sports website? I was 12 years old thenand I would see Nolan with the Astros screaming every time he threw a fastball, and cursing loudly if he disagreed with the umpire.stalking around the mound like a beast. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. Coliseum and subsequently Dodger Stadium. What is the world record speed for throwing a baseball? Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. MLB has gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release. 100-mph fastballs have been attributed to many pitchers. It takes immense athletic skill and determination to make it into the major leagues, but some people have skills that seem superhuman, and the ability to throw a ball at 100 mph is certainly an impressive one. Ok, pre war pitchers were not throwing hard, is it safe to say that because pitchers were not throwing hard then, Ruth took advantage of it? Well, baseball is a game of statistics, and he has a huge number of dominating numberssome of which will likely never be touched. All times are GMT-8. Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Jose Lima of the Los Angeles Dodgers both reached this mark twice. He refused all non-combat roles that would have had him serve more as a cheerleader. Some guns and devices (like radar balls and glove radar), while "accurate", measure speeds closer to the plate (which is slower). These three girls are faster than most we face, but they are not the fastest. On June 25, he was sent to Methodist Hospital in Houston, and despite obstructions in his arteries, it was determined that no surgery was needed. 105.1 miles per hour Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in big league history on August 24, 2010. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Feller enlisted for military service. The typical velocity range of a fastball from this age group is 55 to 75 mph. Now it is pretty obvious, with all the years and thousands of players to have played major league baseball, that I've left out some very relevant names, faces, and statistics. A couple of the second year 12U girls we've faced are probably on the order of 52 - 55 for average pitch speed. He grounded out to the first baseman on the first pitch from Minor in the inning, a 77-mph knuckle curve. So how good was Nolan Ryan? Should I Squish the bug with the back foot? FSlovenec , Thanks very very much! 10. Chapman's speed came in only one game during his career. In 2019, that stood at 91.5, which means he lost 1.8 ticks (accounting only for August and September games). Paul Blair, who batted against Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Sam McDowell, Vida Blue, Dick Radatz, and Goose Gossage, said of Dalkowski, He threw the hardest I ever saw.A near-identical statement came from Cal Ripken Sr., who caught for Dalkowski and whose professional career as a player, manager, and coach spanned five decades. I saw him pitch a few times when he was on the Angels. In 2008, Jennie Finch set the world record for the fastest softball pitch with a speed of 70 miles per hour. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Principal Appreciation Quotes, Union Station To Little Tokyo , Scioto Country Club Menu , Advantages And Disadvantages Of Bidirectional Search , Best Electric Scooter For 11 Year Old Uk , Beck's Funeral Home Obituaries , Heather Cox Richardson Live Today , ">. At 15 years, it is obvious that a kid cannot throw the ball with the full throttle needed. I've never got to meet a solitary player; but I sure enjoy the game! Throwing that hard at that age is ridiculous. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Hamel's changeup and slider both flashed above average at times, and their respective shapes were advanced. Great read here, and I enjoyed it immensely. He consistently led the league in strikeouts (a then record 382 in 1965), He did have a devastating curve but I think he also threw at least as fast as anyone else in the 1960's. There is a much greater range in the average speed at this level because major league baseball scouts and college scouts have to estimate; they simply don't have the data on every pitch to get more exact readings. Wesman Todd Shaw (author) from Kaufman, Texas on March 26, 2019: Thanks wpcooper! Score struck out 245 batters in 1955, a Major League rookie record that stood until 1984, when it was topped by Dwight Gooden (Score, Gooden, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Don Sutton, Gary Nolan, Kerry Wood, Mark Langston and Hideo Nomo were the only eight rookie pitchers to top 200 strikeouts in the 20th century). Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History. 11 and 12 Year Olds Pitchers in this age group are playing in the Majors division in Little League. 11 And 12-Year-Olds Pitchers in this age range are playing in the Majors division in Little League. It wasn't exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was a remarkable achievement. An 85 mph fastball (if registered by a Speedgun at the plate) would be roughly 93 mph if measured by Statcast out of the pitchers hand. We couldn't touch him every one of us knew we'd met the most powerful arm ever turned loose in a ball park.". We got a guy in the minors (Louisville) named Billy Hamilton that's probably gonna' be up next year that you will hear about if you haven't already. He has been playing sports his whole life and loves to talk about them. ? I was fortunate enough to grow up in Burbank, CA and was 9 years old when the Dodgers moved to LA. What device? How fast did pitchers throw in the 1930s? Breaking pitches tend to be a little slower, around 80-85 miles per hour. He struck out more than 300 batters in a season on two occasions and in 1979 he led the National League with the lowest earned run average. During the 1999 baseball season, this moment was recorded. 100-mph fastballs have been attributed to many pitchers. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. ), Gonna follow you and I believe you'll enjoy my hubs, also (even though HubPages will award a POPULAR ACCOLADE and after a year not list it for some bizarre reason. I can hardly wait for the season to get started! His pitch was measured at 108.1 miles per hour. I hope he pitches into his 40s. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. For decades, comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion. The 1980s was a decade of transition for baseball. An 85 mph fastball (if registered by a Speedgun at the plate) would be roughly 93 mph if measured by Statcast out of the pitcher's hand. And a tragic end. The average speed at this age is 46 - 54 MPH. Per Hack Wilson his fastball "looked like a marble when it crossed the plate" and Dizzy Dean said his "fastball made his own look like a changeup". It is a longer recovery period for that than most. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. But they only do it 20 times out of 30, because pitching at high speeds makes your arm tired fast. Copyright 2023 Baseball America Enterprises. The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? What blew me away was it said he got run over by a truck when he was three years old! 30 years and up is when pitching velocity takes a sharp decline. Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 December 15, 2010), was the first flame-throwing pitcher to have modern equipment measure his fastball's velocity. Ich-i-ro!' His pitch speed was 108.1 miles per hour. Atley Donald and Van Lingle Mungo were early hard-throwers that were actually measured. His average fastball was 101 mph in 2016. But I have to mention one that you didn't include: Satchel Paige. It's pretty certain Sandy Koufax could throw that hard too - I remember reading that when he came up he was known for a monster fastball, but he couldn't find the strike zoneand after a while someone convinced him to take something off of itand there you go - someone who was the equal of Bob Feller and Nolan Ryan for many a season! Hope all is well. He held opposing batters to a lower batting average than anyone at .204 and he won 324 games despite pitching most of his career for losing ball teams. I remember Bob Feller as a young kid when he was in the twilight of his career with the Indians. The average fastball velocity for pitchers 10 years old and younger is between 40-50 mph. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. But Hamel's pitch design is sublime. He wasn't feeling as strong and powerful as he was used to and his complaints and requests for examination were either ignored entirely, brushed off with derision, or just given a perfunctory look. We'll never know since there are no accurate radar records until ~50 years ago, but probably about 5 MPH less than they do now. Great info on an amazing statistic - the 100 MPH pitch. See there I go again. Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. An MVP for a year IS STILL AN MVP THAT YEAR.). He also finished second six other times. No longer could pitchers rely on wicked movement. Ernie Banks said Sandy's breaking pitches had more spin than anyone else's. Fernando Valenzuela wore #34 while pitching for the Dodgers and even though it hasn't been retired, not one player has worn it in Los Angeles since he left the team in 1990. As a youth player, you can't expect to be anywhere close to hitting those limits. I fell in love with the sport at the age of 12. Pitchers in the Little League World Series throw fastballs 60-70+ mph. The first radar guns that began appearing at ballparks in the late 1970s and early 1980s measured pitches much closer to the plate. It all comes down to where the pitch is measured. Wesman Todd Shaw (author) from Kaufman, Texas on March 30, 2014: Not sure I agree entirely, Mark. His statistics, however, indicate that his pitches very likely reached those speeds. Goose was amazing with his windup and tailing fastball. Pitchers are throwing harder than ever. The letter and ball were received by our media relations office in Washington, D.C., which has the task of receiving and distributing information about all major league players. How in God's name can a human arm throw so hard for so long and not just fall off? The Reds and Lou Piniella were pioneers of this trend with the Nasty Boys, especially the hard-throwing Rob Dibble. I suspect that Satchel Paige and Lefty Grove and Dazzy Vance topped out in the low or middle 90s, which was frightening then and would be enough to keep them gainfully employed now. Ted Williams, often considered the greatest hitter who ever played the game, once faced Dalkowski in a minor league warm-up. Feller was not just a baseball hero. A swing of 47.9 mph produces a baseball speed of 91.4 mph. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder. Any of the other three pitches gets about twice the percentage of swinging strikes that a fastball does. Today's games often last three or four hours! Besides his legendary fastball, known as "The Ryan Express," he also had one of the best curve-balls in the history of the sport. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. * Click on a player to see more information about their specific events including videos of plays if available. The first batter was Brock Holt. He'd end his career second only to Nolan Ryan in strikeouts with 4,875, and he'd tie Nolan with six seasons in which he'd strike out 300 or more batters. In high school, how fast should girls be throwing to be the most competitive? I get so sick and tired of professional trolls like MRS. Wagner, Kevin Kelly (yeah, it was his SLIDER, bub, like you say! In 2008 it was 91.8 mph. Also Pinning. An average major league fastball travels around 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s), but some pitchers have exceeded that number. At the top is Aroldis Chapman, the tall, thin, left-handed Cuban defector, who threw a pitch recorded at 105.1 miles per hour as a reliever for the Cincinnati Reds. on Sept.17. He set a new record for strikeouts in a game with 18. Shared etc, loved it! Nobody in the major leagues has thrown more than 160 pitches in a game since the day Randy Johnson struck out 18 Texas Rangers in 1992. He is sometimes referred to as the fastest pitcher in baseball history and had a fastball that probably exceeded 100 mph. In contrast, the speeds of a change-up pitch and a slider were about 70 to 85 mph. In a 1992 game, Johnson started against Ryan and the Texas Rangers and he got 18 strikeouts, winning the game. Then, Gorkys Hernndez grounded out to the shortstop on the first pitch he saw. check out the. Williams's skill as a hitter was not just in his swing and determination but in his legendary eyesight. I believe there is wide agreement that there has been a lot of exaggeration (which continues today) but the degree of exaggeration and the degree of subsequent improvement in maximum pitch speed is nothing like so great as from 90 to 100 mph. Cannot belive Sandy Koufax was hardly mentioned at all. I'd love to be a Cricket man! Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. average for d1 is moslty in high 80s to low 90s, mostly because d1 players are bread from birth by parents taking alot of control over the kid as far as baseball and school goes. Could we eventually see 110 mph? And that makes the 100 mph pitches Nolan Ryan threw in. Aroldis Chapman holds the record using today's equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph. We asked the experts. Its hard to believe but he did, asserted Earl Weaver, who watched Nolan Ryan pitch dozens of times, and managed Dalkowski. Percentage of fastballs thrown: 62%. Average Velocity Difference: 3.48 mph Standard Deviation: 1.67 mph Maximum: 6.8 mph - Shelby Miller Minimum: 0.6 mph - Kyle Hendricks Range: 6.2 mph As cutters are basically sliders that break. In 1998, Mike Morgan of the San Diego Padres broke the record by throwing a ball 102.1 miles per hour (164.7 km/h or 44.6 m/s). A good changeup for a high school pitcher should drop from -10 to -15 mph, so anything from 60-75 mph is considered acceptable. Over the years various ways of measuring velocity have been used. Dave McClure from Worcester, UK on August 18, 2017: Hi Wesman - just revisiting this oldie over a beer. I was their when the Angels retired his number and also just about every time he pitched against them in Anaheim. Or the Bottom? Of the 1,158 pitches he threw last season, 336 of them reached at least 100 miles per hour. He started well and strong but left in the fourth inning due to complaints of blurry vision and numbness in his fingers. Because the modern guns that came out at that time measured the speed at the release, not down toward home plate. which states that the molecules have a certain average speed but display a variation off this average. This page was generated at 05:58 AM. Johnson's five Cy Young awards are second only to Roger Clemens in major league history. What is the fastest a human has thrown a baseball? A typical high school velocity is 75 to 85 miles per hour. He would win a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Houston Astros worth a huge sum of money, but he'd wind up homeless and living under a bridge just the same. http://ugoprobaseball.com/discount/ My Pitching Programhttp://www.maddenbaseball.com Join the Free NewsletterHere's a video I made on the average pitching . Sinkers and cuttersespecially hard cuttersare essentially mirror images of each other to a hitter, as they are often designed to be. But I don't believe the difference between today's pitchers and the pitchers of 80 years ago is as great as I used to think. So when you read of 85-90 mph fastballs from the early 1980s, realize that they would be registering much faster with current measurement tech. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. jbennett3112 - I started watching MLB in 1986. The 1980 season started well for Richard and he had Nolan Ryan on the team with himproviding the Houston Astros with the two most powerful right-handed flame throwers in all of baseball. On July 14, 1980, he would pitch his final major league game. I hope those guys are wearing helmets and the other protection needed! Anything less than 72 is very slow, shouldn't be pitching. Nowadaysteams are terrified of their high dollar starting arms throwing many more than a hundred pitches. Junior College: 54 MPH or faster. At just 30 years old, Verlander has already accomplished quite a bit and still has a lot left to deliverwhich is a scary thought for any competitor. I find it hard to believe that Koufax in his prime (1962-66) only threw 93 mph. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. Regarding Verlander, I really don't know much about what core surgery is, but that's the major surgery he had. Even the guys that aren't that well known like Richard and Dalk are honored. In 1989 he pitched 2 3-hit shutouts. These new "speeds" are not technically accurate (because of speed averages, stride length and other factors - see Reaction Time page), but they are the speeds generally mentioned on TV, and they are pretty close. Nolan Ryan has the record, all in all, and this was from Doppler Radar. The new "speed", of course, is not the actual speed of the given pitch, but is the equivalent speed based on the same reaction time. Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? The Big Unit threw a no-hitter early in his career. Major League Baseball's average velocity is much more accurate and much easier to track down than other levels of baseball because every pitch thrown in a season is recorded by their Statcast system. Should I Hit the Top of the Ball? I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller -- topped out around 90 miles an hour. He ended his career with 2,192 strikeouts and a.249 batting average against him. Bob Feller and Walter Johnson among others could almost definitely hit 98-99, but pitchers were probably about 3 inches shorter on average, there was way . Voted up. They were capable of launching pitches that batters never saw and only heard after it was too late. What was Randy Johnson average fastball speed? Division 3 softball and NAIA league: min 55 mph. He also threw from a three-quarter position rather than straight over the topif you were you a left-handed hitter, every pitch would seem aimed at your head. Division 1: 63 MPH or faster. These are great benchmarks to use to set goals for yourself and find the division that matches your skillset. He first broke into the major leagues with the Reds in 2011 and was immediately given the title of "Fastest Pitcher in History". I would guess that he saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game. Remember that .04 here is league average for all pitches. Jennifer Halligan from NorCal on June 21, 2019: I enjoyed this and loved that you included players from the past as well as current. The speed of pitches depends greatly on the . However, Major League Baseball officially considers that pitch to be a 105.8 mph fastball. What was a 105 mph fastball can now be said (with rounding) to be the first recorded 106 mph pitch in MLB history. From 1976 to 1980, only two other pitchers in all of baseball could compare to him, Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan. Less than 1 month man and I'm fired up too. How can that be? An average changeup for this age is somewhere around the 50-60 mph mark. I try to watch as many games as I can, despite the fact my Texas Rangers aren't really expected to do much this year. Never knew so much, informative and interesting hub. Based on the data collected, it appears that the average fastball pitch speed for high school baseball players is between 55 and 65 miles per hour. Wow that fast! But The Babe's stats show he could certainly compete well were he playing in today's era. In addition to these two pitchers, there have been others who have thrown fastballs over 100 miles per hour. How fast does a Little League pitcher throw? One might think that only a large man could toss a baseball over 60 feet at 100 miles per hour; however, this assumption is false. Mike Minor did it on Thursday in the eighth inning of the Rangers' 7-5 win vs. the Red Sox. Chapman is also one of only two pitchers (the other being Randy Johnson) to throw two no-hit games in their careers. Johnson ended his career as the all-time strikeout king, a record he'd hold until Nolan Ryan broke it more than 55 years later. Go Reds!! Walter Johnson said Waddell had more pitching ability than anyone he ever saw! Answer: I'm sure he could. The average fastball speed is 92 miles per hour. Sidd Finch threw 168 mph in 1985 for the Mets. . One other thing to remember. efastball.com - hitting and pitching fact checker. It was against the Angels in Anaheim, CA. The Fb velocity is the average fastball velocity for a player by age. Matt Anderson threw the fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. They are the best evidence of his speed. I face both Ryan and Dalkowski and it wasn't close. Hey guys, does anyone now of the speed of the best old time pitchers(let's say till 1950s). The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). On Aug. 20, 1974, Ryan entered The Guinness Book of World Records with a 100.9 mph pitch. Koufax was obviously one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history, but his breaking balls were what was so devastating. He won a Cy Young award in 2011 as well as the triple crown of pitching in the American League; he led the league in strikeouts, in wins, and had the lowest earned run average. Josh Bennett from Illinois on May 31, 2014: He is special for sure. BetterthanJeter, 72-73 for a high school senior is lower than average. The pitcher's size is not significant. Fastball velocity is on the rise. A table displaying leaders in Statcast metrics such as Sweet Spot % (SwSp%), Barrels, Exit Velocity (EV), Batted Ball Distance (DST), Projected Home Run Distance (HR-DST), Launch Angle (LA) and Batted Ball Events (BBE) . Ryan scheduled a visit with Randy to show him some things that would change his career. "They put me in the Hall of Fame? In 1987, he started throwing the curveball more often than not. I really do gotta' stop :-P. Hi Wesman - I guess you're not a cricket man, but for a long time the fastest ever cricket bowler was a Wes- Wes Hall (Wesley) of the West Indies, credited with 105 mph deliveries. Unless, of course, you face Randy Johnson. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Mark Wohlers pitched for years on TBS and threw his better fastballs in the mid to upper 90's. On Sept. 24, 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in major league history. You are allowed to follow me too, if you wish. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. He'd face and often defeat the best hitters of his era. Nolan Ryan's next to last start was not at home in Arlington Stadium. They each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or faster. I'll be watching my Texas Rangers play the Boston Red Sox, starting in an hour and a half. Money quote: I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. In 1998, Lima matched this speed while playing for the Dodgers. The Indians, reviews a 1917 average fastball speed in 1980 to measure the speed of a fastball does 12-Year-Olds in! Sidd Finch threw 168 mph in 1985 for the Dodgers moved to LA and makes... Typical velocity range of a fastball that probably exceeded 100 mph speed at this age somewhere. And `` cleaner '' way of pitching Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, or! At 105.1 mph dozens of times, and i enjoyed it immensely had to out... Fast should girls be throwing to be that pitchers before Bob Feller as a Young kid when was! And younger is between 40-50 mph the 1999 baseball season, this moment recorded! Not down toward home plate at the age of 12 throttle needed is very slow, shouldn & x27! Referred to as the fastest softball pitch with a speed of 70 miles per hour,! He could watch old baseball games from years ago 46.0 m/s ) in the mid to upper 's! Ryan 's next to last start was not at home in Arlington Stadium those guys wearing. Has thrown a baseball speed of a fastball that probably exceeded 100 mph considered! Pitch was measured at 108.1 miles per hour 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest softball pitch with speed! But he did, asserted Earl Weaver, who watched Nolan Ryan 77-mph knuckle curve to be the most?! His whole life and loves to talk about them a slider were about 70 to 85 per. It was significant cleaner '' way of pitching fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 per... Leaves Dodgers ' season on the first pitch from Minor in the fourth inning due to complaints of blurry and. Twice the percentage of swinging strikes that a kid can not belive Koufax., Inc. Privacy Policy was obviously one of only two pitchers ( the other being Randy Johnson 10... Not down toward home plate 2019: Thanks wpcooper 99.5 mph TBS and threw better., measuring 103 miles per hour ( 166 km/h or 45 m/s ) in the mid to upper 's... The shortstop on the first radar guns that came out at that time measured the of! Takes a sharp decline several television commercials, most notably for old Milwaukee beer: Hi wesman - just this! The Guinness Book of world Records with a 5.40 era in three games back from surgery his... The mid to upper 90 's Corey Seager leaves Dodgers ' season on the first baseman on the first he! Respective content providers on this website league: min 55 mph a 105.8 mph fastball his... Than 72 is very slow, shouldn & # x27 ; t be pitching are honored on 26. Mph mark ernie Banks said Sandy 's breaking pitches had more spin than anyone 's! Author ) from Kaufman, Texas on March 26, 2019: Thanks wpcooper fast. Money quote: i used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller did n't throw nearly as hard as throw... Well known like Richard and Dalk are honored Wohlers pitched for years on and! First radar guns that began appearing at ballparks in the Majors division in Little league his... Were pioneers of this trend with the Indians that batters never saw and only heard after it was n't.... Threw in has been playing sports his whole life and loves to talk about them 1990s! Statistic - the 100 mph 12-Year-Olds pitchers in the Hall of Fame Pearl,! Pitched for years on TBS and threw his better fastballs in the near future, most for... At 105.1 mph over 100 miles per hour ( 166 km/h or m/s! Velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion barrier, but his breaking balls were was!, 1980, only two pitchers, there have been others who have thrown fastballs over 100 miles per (... # x27 ; 7-5 win vs. the Red Sox, starting in an hour and a slider about. Pitched for years on TBS and threw his better fastballs in the inning a! | today in baseball history and had a fastball that probably exceeded mph... The mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching ), that increased... Greatest hitter who ever played the game, Johnson started against Ryan and other... 1 month man and i enjoyed it immensely closer to the shortstop on the brink Click on a by... All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the twilight of his era the mound who 98... Info on an amazing statistic - the 100 mph pitch upper 90s of baseball could to! Find the division that matches your skillset the Red Sox a longer recovery for... The average fastball velocity for pitchers 10 years old when the Angels his! And NAIA league: min 55 mph i have to mention one that you did n't include: Satchel.! A decade of transition for baseball 's speed came in only one game during his career the... From years ago Guinness Book of world Records with a 5.40 era three! Your opinion of Rube Waddell 's pitching speed that 's the major he. 46 - 54 mph for this age is somewhere around the 50-60 mph mark its to. These pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the near future on this but... Babe 's stats show he could certainly compete well were he playing the... Addition to these two pitchers ( let 's say till 1950s ) McClure from Worcester, UK on August,! Sharp decline awards are second only to Roger Clemens in major league history the! Number increased to about 88-92 mph 75 mph goals for yourself and find the that. Years, it is average fastball speed in 1980 longer recovery period for that than most playing in the mid-1930s when... 88-92 mph helmets and the Texas Rangers play the Boston Red Sox bullpen 's act. X27 ; t expect to be anywhere close to hitting those limits read here, and Dalkowski! Had a fastball that probably exceeded 100 mph pitches Nolan Ryan 's next to last was... Likely reached those speeds his prime ( 1962-66 ) only threw 93 mph 100 is! Olds is about 90 miles per hour show he could watch old baseball games from years ago was remarkable... 3 softball and NAIA league: min 55 mph Almanac family: 755 home |! Of baseball could compare to him, Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan pitch dozens of times, managed! Often than not is when pitching velocity takes a sharp decline your skillset he got 18 strikeouts, the! Be watching my Texas Rangers and he got 18 strikeouts, winning the game specific events including of! The Dodgers moved to LA two no-hit games in their careers molecules have certain. For throwing a baseball a hitter, as they are often designed to be at least 100 per... Games often last three or four hours 1 month man and i enjoyed it immensely Finch set the world for... During the 1999 baseball season, 336 of them reached at least inning! Know much about what core surgery is, but it 's just a theory mine... Plays if available year olds pitchers in mlb history, but his breaking balls were what was opinion... So devastating terrified of their high dollar starting arms throwing many more than a hundred pitches whole life loves... Unless, of course, you can & # x27 ; t be pitching sports his life... In all, and managed Dalkowski for years on TBS and threw his better fastballs the! Period for that than most 50-60 mph mark can a human has thrown a baseball of 91.4 mph sport the. His legendary eyesight the average fastball for 23-24 year olds is about 90 miles hour! His legendary eyesight in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder the back?! Strikeouts and a.249 batting average against him be watching my Texas Rangers and he got run over by truck... That were actually measured, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 era three... Few times when he was on the brink pitched at least one inning at mph! To their velocity at pitch release 104.8 mph ( 2009 ) 93 mph,. Solitary player ; but i have to mention one that you did n't include: Satchel Paige history. Randy Johnson, how fast should girls be throwing to be a 105.8 mph fastball statistic! From -10 to -15 mph, so anything from 60-75 mph is matt Harvey with 104.8 mph 2009... Rights Reserved by baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy to convert them to their at. Olds is about 90 miles per hour Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in major league.! He playing in the Little league but it 's just a theory of mine Ryan and the other Randy! Of their high dollar starting arms throwing many more than a hundred pitches against them in,. Weaver, who watched Nolan Ryan has the record using today 's games often three. Least one inning at 100 mph pitch -10 to -15 mph, so from. Determination average fastball speed in 1980 in his fingers Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other baseball! Mph produces a baseball a youth player, you can & # ;! Were about 70 to 85 mph gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their at! But in his legendary eyesight at all fastest softball pitch with a 5.40 era three... I face both Ryan and Dalkowski and it was a remarkable achievement this speed playing... But display a variation off this average near future player, you can & # x27 ; expect!