What is the fastest pitch in MLB? Aroldis Chapman can light up the radar gun like few others, while Jacob deGrom throws heat that no starting pitcher can match. But how do these flamethrowers stack up in MLB history.
There are few things more impressive in sports than witnessing a pitcher light up the radar gun. The ability to load up and fire a ball at 100-plus mph gets fans excited, makes hitters feel intimidated and leaves teams fantasizing about the possibilities of what that electric arm can do.
Let’s examine the fastest pitch ever, during the 2024 season and look at the all-time history.
Further below you can provide in-depth answers about increasing pitch velocity, the fastest pitch ever thrown and the fastest MLB pitch in 2023.
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The fastest pitch in history was a 105.8 mph fastball, thrown by relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman on Sept. 24, 10. Chapman also holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest baseball pitch ever recorded.
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Oakland Athletics reliever Mason Miller threw the fastest pitch in 2024 with a 103.7 mph fastball on April 11. Miller has thrown the eight fastest pitches in MLB this season.
Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran threw the fastest pitch in MBL this season. The fastest pitch thrown this season was a 104.8 mph fastball, thrown by Duran against the Seattle Mariners on July 19. Duran has thrown the 10 fastest pitches in baseball this season, hitting 104 double-digit times.
Courtesy of Baseball Savant, here are the pitchers with the fastest average fastball velocity this year, with data collected through the first month of the season.
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On Sept. 24, 2010, Chapman made MLB history. Then a rookie relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, the fireballer unleashed a fastball clocked at 105.1 mph by PITCH/fx. MLB later bumped that up to 105.8 mph.
Technology plays an instrumental role in the rapid velocity of fastballs and the tracking speed. Major League Baseball implemented the PITCH/FX system in 2006, allowing it to more accurately track the movement and speed of pitches, and the software kept improving over the years.
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While many MLB statistics date back to the 1900s, data specific to movement and speed only comes from modern technology. As a result, Aroldis Chapman is credited with throwing the fastest pitch in MLB history.
Chapman did it again the following year, a wild pitch that nearly hit All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen in the face.
History repeated itself a few years later, this time with the Yankees. Closing the game in the 9th inning, Chapman unleashed a 105.1 mph fastball against the Baltimore Orioles.
Aroldis Chapman’s fastball is widely regarded as the fastest pitch in MLB today. In fact, even after more than 575 career innings and countless pitches hitting 100-plus mph, he also holds the title this season.
Some of the fastest pitchers in 2022 clocked over 103 mph, with multiple relievers and even a few starters hitting 102 mph with relative ease. Unsurprisingly, MLB set a record for the highest average fastball velocity ever in 2022.
As detailed by Jeff Passan of ESPN, pitchers delivered blistering heat on the mound this season. Back in 2008, MLB recorded only three instances of pitchers in the playoffs who threw fastballs 100 mph or faster. In 2022, there were 164 pitchers hitting triple digits with their fastball.
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It’s all part of the revolution, movement and spin is paramount for off-speed pitches and velocity is treasured on fastballs. As we detail further below with data on the fastest MLB pitches in 2022, the numbers reflect how baseball changed.
With technology becoming a greater resource for pitchers and more emphasis being placed on velocity, we are seeing players throwing harder than ever. As the graph below shows from Jeff Leach, the average fastball speed in MLB has skyrocketed since 2002 and it will likely exceed 95 mph next season.
For examples on this, we examine the fastest pitch from the MLB season, by each pitch type.
On September 22, St. Louis Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley threw the fastest pitch in MLB this season with a 104 mph fastball against San Diego Padres slugger Josh Bell. The 104 mph pitch struck out Bell looking, sealing the final out of the eighth inning. It also just surpassed Helsley’s teammate for the title of fastest MLB pitch in 2022.
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Here are the fastest pitches thrown thus far in 2022. We’ll update the tracker, velocity via Baseball Savant, every few weeks.
Check out a breakdown on the fastest pitch in 2021 further below.
Fastball velocities have ticked up over time. Between pitchers tweaking their mechanics and throwing with greater effort thanks to lower pitch counts, the radar gun is hitting triple digits like never before. FanGraphs detailed in Apri how the average fastball velocity jumped from 91.7 mph in 2008 to 93.7 mph this season.
The measurement of fastball velocity has also changed in recent decades, as Baseball America explained in detail. MLB changed the point at which it tracked the baseball coming in. With a pitch losing velocity as it leaves a pitcher’s hand and gets closer to the plate, the specific moment the baseball is clocked matters.
It’s why Nolan Ryan isn’t officially credited for throwing the fastest pitch. When the Hall of Famer was unleashing heat from 1966-1993, his fastball was being tracked closer to the plate. He was still credited with hitting 100 mph multiple times, topping out at 100.9 mph.
The documentary Fastball examined velocities and how different speeds might look if modern technology was used. It ultimately suggested Ryan hit 108mph. But Pitching Ninja later broke down why it’s difficult to determine the accuracy of that suggestion and he compared Ryan’s fastest recorded pitch to Hicks and Chapman frame-by-frame.
We might begin to see teams place less emphasis on velocity. MLB could explore rules to reduce the number of pitchers allowed on a roster, resulting in starters going longer into games and thus using less max effort on individual pitches. With that said, there will still be plenty of arms who will blow past 100 mph.
Scientists do not believe as of now the human body is capable of throwing a baseball 110 mph. While there are instances of MLB pitchers throwing a ball clocked at 110 mph. that happened with balls that weigh significantly less than the average baseball.
At the peak of his career, Randy Johnson threw a 102 mph fastball. It was one of the fastest pitches ever at the time and he lit up the radar gun like no other in his era. However, 102 mph is now hit several times a month by a handful of relief pitchers and even a few starting pitchers.
While Roger Clemens is one of the hardest throwing pitchers in MLB history, his fastball peaked at 98 mph and typically sat around 92-96 mph towards the latter half of his career. By today’s standards, that’s average fastball velocity for a front-line starting pitcher.
Aroldis Chapman’s 105. 8 mph fastball is the fastest pitch recorded in baseball history. On that same day, Chapman threw a 105.4 mph pitch, the third-fastest pitch ever.