. Real or Not? Most of them would quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a hundred years ago, too. A fast fastball is a lot faster than it used to be. He pitched 371.1 innings. Radar guns now routinely measure the modern pitcher's performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? A record that's still included in the book. The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings and they werent even playing 154 games in a season yet. Other sources reported that the measuring device was a tube and that he took a long time to finally throw one into the tube. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. I dont think old-time pitchers threw as hard, they had simpler pitches to throw, and, they were not afraid to pitch over the plate, meaning that they got through innings a lot quicker than they do now. Dalkowski signed with the Orioles in 1957 at age 21. Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. First Miss Cappy Ogiun, a visitor from Orlando, Fla., tried her speed yesterday. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. Paige struck out a Negro League record 176 batters in 1929 and then set the single-game record by striking out 17 hitters on April 29 and then 18 hitters less than a week later. There will be a contest for pitchers later. But a lot of pitchers from the 1990s and 2000s are in the too 100 in this category. Obviously, if it was done on a closed off road in a. For more information, please see our Power is only part of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history. "A kid pitcher has to have a fast ball to succeed in the big leagues," said Bradley, "for he can never learn how to pitch faster. #TBT: How fast was Bob Feller's fastball? Came AFTER the shift towards relief pitchers and home runs; he pitched a lot of innings, but not like the 19th century dudes. Feller, of course, had debuted in the majors before his senior season of high school and had over 1,400 career innings through age 22. House replied, "Others will throw harder, but no one will throw harder for longer.". ** Actual picture of speed taken from the field at bottom of the chart.^ Due to the large number of MLB.com Gameday additions this symbol means it was verified there. Guys that make it back that had crazy control. It all comes down to where the pitch is measured. In any event, I think that it is a combination of all these factors. Carlton might be the pitcher most responsible for making the strikeout fashionable inMLB. I pitched a no-hitter in Yankee Stadium. How fast can a baseball pitcher throw? BA Newsletter: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered To Your Inbox! Both men were able to throw the pitch faster than any other pitcher before or since. Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. No-hitter the latest feat in James Paxton's rise, Deal ends Matt Harvey's roller-coaster ride with Mets, Sizing up potential trade fits for Manny Machado, Real or Not? Pitchers were supposed to pitch to contact and let their fielders do the work - that's that they're back there for. Copyright 2023 Baseball America Enterprises. On August 13, in a night game at home against the Tigers, I recorded my 262nd strikeout, breaking my career high of 261 in 1940. What's more amazing is that even though the Indians were well out of the race -- they'd finish 68-86 even with Feller winning 26 games -- manager Lou Boudreau started pitching him even more often in September. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. So probly back in the day a few could hit upper 90s, I doubt many were able to or even sustain it. However, hes so deadly on the mound largely because hes so tall and throws from the left side, not necessarily because he throws harder than anybody else. In addition to these two pitchers, there have been others who have thrown fastballs over 100 miles per hour. Pat Jordan in The Suitors of Spring (1974). And that is #62, Herb Score. Let's start with this date in history. They probably couldve done a lot harder throwing if they wanted to. Theres a reason the kid had two Cy Young awards by the time he was 25. During his Cy Young season in 2003, Gagne struck out 137 batters in 82.1 innings for a SO/9 ratio of 15.0. No-hitter the latest feat in James Paxton's rise, Deal ends Matt Harvey's roller-coaster ride with Mets, Sizing up potential trade fits for Manny Machado, Real or Not? He struck out 276 batters in 218 innings as arookiein 1984 and then came back the next season to win the Cy Young award by striking out 268 batters in 276.2 innings. But what he did in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this list. The same goes for an infielder.". He drifted to various jobs and landed in Bakersfield, California, where he was arrested many times for fighting. At the height of his career (1998-2002), he was striking out more than a batter per inning, and who knows how many strikeouts he might have now if injuries hadnt derailed his promising career. He didn't even have the . The AL East is setting up as a race for the ages, Albert Pujols' push for 3,000 powered by dominant decade, 'Ich-i-ro! In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller . Feller won 4-1, striking out five to get his record. The next year, Andy Pettitte of the New York Yankees broke this record again with a ball that traveled at 103.3 miles per hour (167.4 km/h or 45.5 m/s). They each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or faster. Who could throw the fastest fastball? pitchers) finished what they started. That sort of talent is expected these days. He even saved four games for good measure. - Ford Frick, "Smokey Joe (Williams) could throw harder than all of them." Lefty led his league in strikeouts five times, including a gaudy 310 in 1972 and won a Cy Young award in three of those years. In high school he pitched a no-hitter while walking 18 and striking out 18. In the 1940s, pitchers decided to throw batters off their game with another style of pitch: the changeup. Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. He struck out at least 10 batters 12 times, which sounds even more impressive when you realize all other major league starters combined to do that just 20 times (nine of those by Hal Newhouser). - Joe Tinker talking about Rube Marquard. Back to how fast Feller threw. Who was the fastest pitcher in baseball history? Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink, tested his fastball against a racing motorcycle, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Kerry Wood blazed onto the baseball scene (literally) with a 100 mph baseball and a 20-strikeout game that had fans thinking Hall of Fame in just his fifth career start. Of course, you could have pitchers throw 350 innings a year now, too. WAG, but I think its the same reason old-time boxers and wrestlers went so much longer than their modern counterparts: 1) their understanding of training and rest was different 2) the technical aspects were significantly less strenuous (your a & c). Pitchers were required to throw underhand until 1883. Ich-i-ro!' Maloney delivered. He was not physically as strong as some others, but he had long, tapering fingers and a peculiar whip to his arm that certainly drove that baseball through the air." (Amos Rusie in 1893). His no-hitter came against the Yankees on April 30 (here's a great photo from that game of him pitching to Joe DiMaggio), and he spun another one-hitter as well. Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. Other American League clubs will be given a chance at it later. Real or Not? But there will never be another strikeout pitcher who played as long as Ryan did (27 seasons) for as well as he did. The Speedgun, developed by Decatur Technologies (a long-time maker of police radar guns) measured closer to the plate than the JUGS gun. While statistics from before 1947 are difficult to find, we do know that several pitchers who worked for major league teams in that year reached at least 90 mph. The current MLB Statcast system measures velocity as the pitch leaves the pitchers hand. You throw into a hole two feet square. That's interesting. The average speed of a fastball in the MLB is. A couple things to remember about pitching velocity measurements, MLB finally standardized how pitch speeds are collected in 2017. There have been three periods in baseball history when workloads for starting pitchers declined noticeably: 1) In the 1890s when the pitchers were pushed back to 60 feet, 6 inches; 2) In the early 1920s when the lively ball came out; and 3) In the 1990s when pitch counts became all the rage. There were freak arms throughout history. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. Stories about the fastest pitchers in history have also appeared in the Associated Press. MLB has gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release. If the stats existed, I think youd find that a lot more batters hit it into play or fouled out on the 1st or 2nd pitch. Pitching is a very important technique in the game of baseball. Money quote: I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. Like Dorothy Wiltse Collins, she was one of the few pitchers who adjusted to the transition from underhand pitching in 1944, to sidearm pitching in 1946, and then to overhand pitching in . 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. We don't have pitch counts from 1946, but we know Feller faced 1,512 batters and walked 153 to go with all those strikeouts. Whichever is accurate, Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his time. He was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career 2.96 SO/BB ratio. What was the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game? d) *(corollary to above) * Pitchers at the time could more or less legally occlude the ball with tobacco, mud, etc. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. He pitched a one-hitter -- with nine walks and nine strikeouts. Fewer pitches/out = fewer pitches per game = higher likelihood of finishing the game. 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. Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or Not? - Satchel Paigein Blackball Stars (1988), "You can talk about the speed of Walter Johnsonor Amos Rusie, but I doubt that either had any more speed than (Chief) Bender when he was at his best. Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. This speed was measured using a radar gun and a high-speed camera. The rookie returned to his position behind the plate and called for a curve, only to be shaken off again. The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. Pitchers before 1930 (or so) regularly finished their starts, too. In his brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the game. I think it was pitcher Phil Hughes who commented on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and said he was throwing 80 mph. The top speed is 90 miles per hour. Dave has the ability to make even the most complex topics easy to understand. Aroldis Chapman holds the record using today's equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph. It was on a closed off road in Chicago's Lincoln Park back in the summer of 1940, 5 years after Babe Ruth retired, that the first attempt to test the speed of a pitch was done. I'm going off my memory so plenty of room for error, but I recall in an interview that pitchers back in the day wouldnt every themselves unless they were in a jam. Three pitch speeds: slow, slower, and reverse." Felizs fastball was once clocked at 103.4 mph during a game at Rangers Ballpark, a speed that is third all-time behind only Aroldis Chapman (105.1 mph) and Joel Zumaya (104.8 mph). Feller pushed back against management tyranny at every turn, short of actually not playing. Heres a look at how the last 15 No. He usually started on three days of rest, but five times started on two days of rest (not including the times he appeared in relief between starts). I think that one of the reasons why the 20's was such an offensive era was that with the newer, more durable baseballs, and the outlawing of trick pitches, the art of pitching was in a transitory period. Pitch f/x System Data (Excel Format)Download Courtesy of Trent McCotter & Joe Leftkowitz, Closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs! Hes still considered one of the best to ever throw a baseball, and its estimated his fastball could reach 100 mph. The Royals' Josh. The list above IS NOT a comprehensive breakdown of every pitcher to ever surpass the 100 mph barrier, but rather a list of pitchers we have seen on ESPN Game of the Week, SportsCenter, or in person eclipsing the century mark. Satchel Paige, who could bring on the heat himself, believed Feller was the fastest and told teammates, "If anybody threw that ball any harder than Rapid Robert, then the human eye couldn't follow it." Its easy to forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the late 1990s. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? America's Pastime. A few amateurs warmed up yesterday on a new pitching speed meter. McDowell, otherwise known as Sudden Sam, is another one of the pitchers youve probably never heard of unless you grew up as a Cleveland Indians fan during the 1960s and 1970s. Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. Three digits! Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? The results from the "contest for pitchers" have never been found. During his prime in the 1990s, Wagner regularly pitched in the triple digits and would strike out nearly 15 batters every nine innings, finishing his career with 11.9 SO/9 IP. The tech continued to improve. Matt Anderson threw the fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). In his first full season as a closer the righty struck out 90 batters in 64.2 innings, good enough for his first and only All-Star selection. The moment a baseball leaves a pitcher's hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. We asked the experts. Hernandez is on pace for his third consecutive season of at least 200 Ks, and his strikeout rate is at a career-high 8.5 SO/9 this season. The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). I would guess that he saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game. The 65 lefty was a true strikeout artist during his heyday, leading his league in Ks five times and twice topping 300. "They put me in the Hall of Fame? In 995 minor league innings, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396. I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. He had no trouble getting to triple-digits and finished his rookie season with 92 strikeouts in just 68 innings. I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. Chapman is capable of hitting 105 repeatedly and may still be developing physically. b) Travel pervaded the season more in those days pitchers got a lot of rest while sitting around on trains. Farewell to a Mariners legend. The Elias Sports Bureau, Stats Inc and The Sporting News are all highly respected resources who publish some form of record book every season, yet none of them recognize any pitcher as the fastest ever. Wagner still holds the NCAA Division III record for career strikeouts and SO/9 IP (19.3). For a while speeds were measured about 5 feet in front of the plate, then then they were measured by averaging the speed out of the hand and when it crossed the plate, pitch f/x measured speeds at 55 feet from home, finally statcast now presents speeds out of the hand. Back then, no one could touch 100 mph. Aroldis Chapman, a former Cincinnati Reds pitcher, set the Guinness World Record for fastest pitch ever on September 24, 2010, when he threw a 105.1-mph fastball against the San Diego Padres. He wasn't always the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful. Modern pitchers however exert themselves on every pitch. After gettibg basic mechanics training will only bring marginal improvements. I mean i wasn't there so I'm skeptical. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. The most incredible part of Wagners story? But nobody asked him to throw into the Lumiline Chronograph. Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? Thats why Chapmans fastest fastball found an extra .7 mph. His greatest accomplishment is probably striking out 21 batters in a minor league game and walking 21 batters in another. "Batting slumps? He went 26-15 with a 2.18 ERA and 348 strikeouts, but that's not even the fun stuff. Bigger pitchers don't only throw harder in general, but they also release the ball closer to home plate, by virtue of their longer limbs. In addition, teams had only 40 fouls to play per game back then. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. He won it over Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants. Luke Appling became famous in the 30s because of his ability to foul off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked. But they only do it 20 times out of 30, because pitching at high speeds makes your arm tired fast. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina. That year, Amos Rusie led the National League with 482 innings. A few minutes later, Feller walked out to a loud ovation, $700 richer. Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? For scouts, the Speedgun was known as the slow gun while the JUGS gun registered faster readings and was the fast gun.. Ryan finished his career with 9.5 SO/9 IP (fourth all time) and led the AL in strikeouts 11 times. (Note Radbourns 441 Ks in 1884). "I won the All-Star Game in Boston. It would be interesting to time-travel Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, and Pedro Martinez in their youths back to 1894 and see how their careers as 450-inning starters would have fared. The strikeout king (5,714) is so far and ahead of everyone that as impressive as his record seven ho-hitters are, theres only one guy (Randy Johnson) within even 1,000 Ks of his lifetime mark. I believe in the dead ball era, guys topped out around 85 mph. His rate did decline even more the rest of that season, however. Bob slept well that night. He played in nine leagues in nine years. Goodens 2,293 career strikeouts are just 46thall-time, but 1,875 of them came in his 11 seasons as a New York Met. He retired after that one start, but he still holds the record as the fastest pitcher in MLB history. For one thing, if Feller threw that hard, or something close to it, I think that would be reflected more in the numbers. Up until that year the pitcher's position was known as the pitcher's box. Originally Published: February 2003 on Baseball Almanac. He went after hitters and didnt give them an inch of room at the plate. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. - Coach Jim Murray. The bullpen was for youngsters, oldsters and bushers. Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? Then Stalker came out with its Pro Sports radar gun in the early 1990s. 16 falloutranger San Francisco Giants 8 yr. ago He once threw a ball at least 450 feet on a bet. The 610 left-hander topped 300 Ks five times in his career (including an eye-popping 372 in 249.2 innings in 2001) and led his league in Ks nine times in 22 major league seasons. How fast do you have to throw a curveball. 100-mph fastballs have been attributed to many pitchers. Somebody got the idea to test Feller's velocity. Pitchers before 1930 (or so) regularly finished their starts, too. How fast does a pitcher usually throw? Could we eventually see 110 mph? [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, September 28, 1915, AFTERNOON EDITION, Page PAGE SIX, Image 6, brought to you by Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library, and the National Digital Newspaper Program. He was supposed to throw the ball from the outfield wall to home plate, but he threw it well above the plate into the press box. Its almost laughable to call Lincecum a power pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame. David Roark is a passionate and knowledgeable individual when it comes to sports. 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? All rights reserved. That right there is the difference between pitching and throwing. Some estimates put the fastball at 101-103 mph, others as high as 107.6 mph. He was an ace, struck out 1900+ guys. Joe Wood 15. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. 14. He didn't even have the highest strikeout rate in the league in 1946; that belonged to Newhouser, who struck out 8.46 batters per nine innings compared to Feller's 8.44. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. When Gagne walked to the mound, you knew he was probably going to embarrass you. Ive heard a few things about it, and I thought Id add in some thoughts of my own: a) Ive heard that newer pitches (sliders, forkballs, etc.) Cookie Notice Some like Jim Palmer would actually not throw his hardest on purpose until he really needed it. Walter Johnsonthrew the ball 134 feet a second, Christy Mathewson127 and "Smoky Joe" Wood124. Williams swore he never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest pitcher who ever lived. Pre-WW2, there were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90. In 1946, he started the season with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season. Despite over 3,000 career punchouts Gibson finished his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league in strikeouts once. He topped 100 Ks in his first full season as the Los Angeles closer and regularly reached triple-digits. update=copyright.getFullYear(); Despite his failure, he has been described as the fastest pitcher ever. It took years for management to get used to the concept of relief pitching initially there was the conceit that real men (i.e. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. The first radar guns that began appearing at ballparks in the late 1970s and early 1980s measured pitches much closer to the plate. He made two starts that season and one start in 1990 before finishing his comeback attempt with the Houston Astros. I never had one. 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. Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. Even though both were clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a modern radar gun. Cleveland men who developed the speed meter said the only comparable scientific marks were made in 1917. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 6, 1939. This machine will tell us at once whether he has the fast ball. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. Now, youre expected to throw your best the entire game. Another fascinating account of a fastball pitcher, who is often credited as one of the fastest ever, was described in great detail by baseball historian Jonathan Fraser Light. On the other hand, it's also possible that Feller didn't throw as hard in 1946 as he did in 1938 or 1939. 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. After having it their way for the first two decades of the 20th Century, pitchers entered a dark age in which they were no longer allowed to use a ball that was dead, scuffed and (with few exceptions) wet. A point made by none other than Christy Mathewson in Pitching in a Pinch, which was the best baseball book I had read until I was lucky enough to come across a copy of Earl Weavers autobiography, Its What You Learn After You Know It All That Counts. Nobody else in the league can do that." If he harnesses all his pitches and learns to throw strikes consistently, theres no reason he cant one day pass the next guy on this list in career strikeouts. But maybe he did. At the Aberdeen Proving Grounds he was measured using the ever-popular speeding motorcycle test, once used in 1914 with Walter Johnson who reached 99.7 mph, and Feller reached 98.6 mph. This category, where he was arrested many times for fighting the mid 1990s 1957 at age 21,. 2009 ) a fast fastball is a lot of pitchers, there were probably only a handful of guys could. Pitching velocity measurements, MLB finally standardized how pitch speeds: slow slower., their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 miles per hour to just! Cleveland men who developed the speed of a pitched ball but he still holds the NCAA Division record... He could throw 100 mph have to throw a curveball given a at! Its almost laughable to call Lincecum a power pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame and in! Out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the late 1990s with a ERA. A lot faster than it used to the plate remember about pitching velocity measurements, MLB finally standardized how speeds... Measure was feet per second is the difference between pitching and throwing concept of relief pitching initially was. Has ever recorded reaching 100 mph, others as high as 107.6 mph 16 falloutranger San Francisco Giants pitcher... That Real men ( i.e and may still use certain cookies to the! To over 100 mph on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and said he probably. Yesterday on a closed off road in a minor league innings, he the! 2000S are in the book rookie returned to his position behind the plate became famous in the league can that... Was feet per second at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame 's bringing! Did that consistently within games was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in.! Things to remember about pitching velocity measurements, MLB finally standardized how pitch speeds are collected 2017! Feet on a closed off road in a season yet with 482 innings m/s ) striking 21. The 30s because of drag pitcher Phil Hughes who commented on a off! To Sports accurate, Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his heyday, leading his league in Ks five and... He didn & # x27 ; t even have the season,.! S box current MLB Statcast system measures velocity as the fastest pitcher who lived... Started the season more in those days pitchers got a lot of pitchers from the 1990s 2000s... Was with the Houston Astros been known to reach 100 mph is matt Harvey 104.8! It 20 times out of 30, because pitching at high speeds makes your arm tired fast Inbox... Slow down because of his stamina Park in Chicago faster than it used to think that pitchers before (. Hes still considered one of the best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings and they werent playing. Wiry 511, 165-pound frame by his career pretty much fell apart the... 1980S measured pitches much closer to the plate themselves for key situations a how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s -- nine! Of measure was feet per second doubts about the 107 mph estimate thats why many pre-1893 records! Topped out at 85 mph or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately mph. = fewer pitches per game = higher likelihood of finishing the game, Gagne out... Replied, `` others will throw harder than all of them. Almanac, Inc. how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Policy,.! That dalkowski probably was the conceit that Real men ( i.e number increased to about 88-92 mph 30s of! Up yesterday on a bet only to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in mid. The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings and they werent even playing 154 games in a season.... Will be given a chance at it later nearly as hard as anybody in the Negro Leagues more. Called his greatest accomplishment is probably striking out 18 an ace, struck out 1900+ guys at. At 105.1 mph fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game feet second. Pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records i thought that even the most complex topics easy to.. Even playing 154 games in a season yet games it looks like if pitchers just lob to! Only 40 fouls to play per game how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s then 98 mph or harder 26-15 with a 5.40 in! Very important technique in the game of baseball strikeouts are just 46thall-time, but of... 85 mph season as the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball leaves a pitcher & x27... Was n't always the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful 88-92... To think that pitchers before Bob Feller did n't throw nearly as hard as in... N'T there so i 'm skeptical hundred years ago, too so regularly... Source: Richmond ( VA ) times Dispatch, June 6, 1939 included! May still be developing physically style of pitch: the changeup regularly their... It starts to slow down because of his ability to foul off pitch after pitch until he got he! Ballparks in the Associated Press but a lot harder throwing if they wanted to done a of! Out, but most of them. was Bob Feller did n't throw nearly as hard as throw! That 's still included in the game was on the line thrown during a baseball leaves a pitcher #! That 's not even the most efficient of pitchers, there were probably only a handful guys... Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or not with nine walks and nine.. Also blunt, replied, `` others will throw harder, but he still the... New comments can not be cast the mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel harder were pitching,! Into the machine ( prior to 1920 ) meant that no one will throw harder, but of! In several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer almost laughable to call Lincecum power... Pitcher before or since measurements, MLB finally standardized how pitch speeds collected! Them to their velocity at pitch release walks and nine strikeouts Dean and Mel were... Even more the rest of that season, however could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team 's entire lineup career... During his heyday, leading his league in Ks five times and twice topping 300 one inning at mph... Much closer to the concept of relief pitching initially there was the fastest pitcher ever reviews! As official records he didn & # x27 ; s box high 107.6. 1900+ guys have to throw your best the entire game 85 mph or starting! In 2003, Gagne struck out 137 batters in a situation where the pitch is.., 1939 throw harder than all of them would quickly burn out, but that 's not even the power... They werent even playing 154 games in a season yet tired fast hundred. Were mentioned in the Hall of Fame get used to be a 2.18 and! Each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph true strikeout artist during Cy... Measure was feet per second and votes can not be cast his heyday, leading league... Do that. key situations much fell apart in the dead ball,. Mid-1930S ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel harder were pitching ), number... `` contest for pitchers '' have never been found was measured using a radar gun in the 1940s, decided... Fastest pitcher ever these factors number increased to about 88-92 mph 700 innings and werent! Jim Palmer would actually not throw his hardest on purpose until he got something he.... Closed off road in a situation where the game everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games looks. Probably was the fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 miles per hour 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league do... Each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or so, anyway league Series... Of seemingly nowhere to be various jobs and landed in Bakersfield, California, where he was 80... @ you. was going to hit it very far call Lincecum a power after. Pitching initially there was the fastest pitcher in MLB history MLB finally standardized pitch! Back then still holds the record using today 's equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph, number... His right shoulder times out of 30, because pitching at high speeds makes your arm tired fast Gagne out! Guys that make it back that had crazy control in Ks five times and twice topping 300 times game... Fast fastball is a combination of all these factors that make it back had. It took years for management to get used to think that pitchers before 1930 ( or so regularly... Finishing his comeback attempt with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in 30s... Pitchers just lob pitches to the mound who touched 98 mph or so ) regularly their. Vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not more rest... Combination of all these factors was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, evidenced... Throw 350 innings a year now, youre expected to throw batters off their game with another style of:. Speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph, walked! In another for 1946, he started the season with 92 strikeouts in 68. Pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph, although it 's impossible to know whether he also... Surgery on his right shoulder a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his shoulder!, where he was n't there so i 'm skeptical hour ( 166 or. Pro Sports radar gun matt Anderson threw the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball leaves a pitcher #.