Ben Joyce may have just broken the radar gun.
Making his Tennessee debut after missing all of 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery, the junior threw a 103.5-mph fastball while sitting at triple digits throughout the eye-popping outing.
And no, this isn’t another Sidd Finch, a fictional player who could throw 168 miles per hour. There’s video to prove it.
Tennessee junior Ben Joyce is hitting 103.5 MPH 😳 pic.twitter.com/KXWQdlDWuv
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) February 24, 2022
As noted by Codify, no MLB pitcher threw a pitch as hard last season. While reliable velocity readings are a relatively modern development, Aroldis Chapman recorded the fastest pitch of recent memory when firing a 105.8-mph heater in 2010.
Per Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel, Volunteers coach Tony Vitello wasn’t as dazzled as the rest of us.
“He didn’t hit 104. Disappointing,” Vitello said jokingly. “He has done that in practice before.”
By the way, Joyce also showed command of a sharp changeup that Vitello called “unfair.” He seems to make a valid point.
This pitch from Ben Joyce was 90 mph…
And, it’s 13 mph slower than his fastest pitch today.
Basically sat 102-103 mph. 😵 pic.twitter.com/JJbBZ5mBQw
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 23, 2022
It’s all the more impressive considering Joyce hadn’t pitched in an official game since making five starts for Walters State Community College in 2020.
If the 6’5″, 225-pound righty keeps cooking with this level of gas, expect him to vault up MLB Draft boards in the next few months.
The post Video: College Baseball Pitcher Throws 103.5 Miles Per Hour appeared first on The Spun.