Is Los Angeles Angels rookie Ben Joyce the fastest pitcher in MLB history?
It may be that the Angels have found themselves one of the most lethal pitchers we’ve seen in many years. Indeed, his new record speaks to that idea.
In what is his first full season in MLB, the Angels rookie has turned heads with his repertoire and most definitely the blinding speed of his deliveries from the mound. In the wake laying down an impressive marker, baseball fans will surely be wondering if they’re witnessing the first steps of a new legend.
Ben Joyce sets record for fastest strikeout pitch
Tuesday night’s game between the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers provided fans and neutrals alike with two very interesting talking points. Firstly, there was Shohei Ohtani’s return to Angel Stadium. Indeed, the Japanese star was making his first appearance in the Angels’ home since he left the team to join their cross-town rivals last offseason. It wasn’t the warmest of welcomes if we’re honest and it wasn’t helped by the fact that the big screen in the outfield displayed Ohtani in his Angels uniform before listing some of the accolades he achieved while playing with the franchise, including the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year, 2021 and 2023 AL MVPs and his two Silver Slugger awards.
On the other hand, perhaps the bigger moment of the night came when Angels rookie Ben Joyce effectively stole the show with an incredibly accurate 105.5 mile-per-hour fastball that caught the lower inside corner of the strike zone. Understandably, Joyce turned around with a look of confidence after getting the batter, Tommy Edman, to have a go at the pitch. For context, the strikeout brought an end to the top of the ninth inning with the scores tied i.e., exactly what you want if you’re an Angels fan.
Yet, upon closer inspection, Joyce’s pitch became far more significant in that it was the fastest strikeout pitch of all time (since MLB has tracked pitch velocity). To be clear, there have been faster pitches recorded by the likes of Aroldis Chapman and Jordan Hicks, however, none of them were strikeout pitches which again only stands to emphasize the 23-year-old’s level of control and precision.
Understandably, Joyce’s talents have not gone unnoticed and with the Angels using him as a closer since early August, it’s clear what the team intends to do with their rising star. Across the Angels’ last 11 games, Joyce has finished nine of them, registering saves in four of them and while the team was unable get the win against the Dodgers, it’s got to be said that it was not down to Joyce’s failures. This is all to say that with a contract that runs through to 2030, the Angels would do well to build around their star on the mound, something he has openly stated he would like to see.