Could we eventually see 110 mph? Here are the 28 hardest throwers in MLB history. The 65 lefty was a true strikeout artist during his heyday, leading his league in Ks five times and twice topping 300. But what made Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but rather his approach to the game. Copyright 1999- Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? The Speedgun, developed by Decatur Technologies (a long-time maker of police radar guns) measured closer to the plate than the JUGS gun. In high school he pitched a no-hitter while walking 18 and striking out 18. Wagner still holds the NCAA Division III record for career strikeouts and SO/9 IP (19.3). Most guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern game. In addition, he finished third three times. On July 28, he threw a shutout against the Senators, striking out 10. Tom House, the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers, was once asked if anyone would ever be able to throw harder than Nolan Ryan. Obviously, if it was done on a closed off road in a. How can that be? b) Travel pervaded the season more in those days pitchers got a lot of rest while sitting around on trains. No longer could pitchers rely on wicked movement. I am scertain that most pitchers probably had shortened carrers because of the overuse, but the exceptions stick out in historythe Cy Younsg, Gorver Cleveland Alexanders and Walter Johnsons. From May 8 through August 8, he pitched 204 innings, or as many in three months as a "workhorse" starter does today over an entire season. Now, his fastball is usually in the high 80's. . If only because most of the film I've seen of pitchers from that era just don't suggest that much effort was being expended. ", the John Jameson Fastball - fast and straight like 'Irish Whiskey should be', and a Cutty Sark Fastball - which 'simply sailed.'. Even though both were clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a modern radar gun. His rate did decline even more the rest of that season, however. Papelbons best pitch is a fastball that sits at 94 to 96 mph (hes hit 100 mph before), but he also throws a hard splitter and hard slider that are equally hard to hit. (Amos Rusie in 1893). I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller -- topped out around 90 miles an hour. Pitchers dont usually return from Tommy John surgery with the same velocity, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again. He played professionally all over North America, and if you looked at his cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts. Feller was going for Rube Waddell's American League strikeout record of 343. Other sources reported that the measuring device was a tube and that he took a long time to finally throw one into the tube. Goodens 2,293 career strikeouts are just 46thall-time, but 1,875 of them came in his 11 seasons as a New York Met. . The moment a baseball leaves a pitchers hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. Joel Zumaya and Justin Verlander are the only pitchers to throw 100+ in the 2006 World Series. Feller was clocked at 98.6 mph. Papelbon wouldve been a great starter, but the hard-throwing right-hander makes a pretty terrific closer too. John A. Crawford of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thought the idea would be useful in selection of pitching and other talents. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? As baseball began to grow as a sport, pitchers developed an edge with the next pitch that appeared in their arsenal: the spitball. After fielding a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Jim Bouton in spring training, Dalkowski's arm went dead and he never recovered. Feller was sitting at 25. It all comes down to where the pitch is measured. The average hitter today is an absolute monster compared to the average hitter back then. 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." Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings? In addition to being incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very hard. "Rising velocity is just an evolution in the game . Woods career didnt turn out exactly as planned, as repeated arm injuries robbed him off his explosiveness, but the right-hander is still the active leader with 10.3 SO/9 IP, a mark that is second only to Randy Johnson among starters. Radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the media has covered their evolution with great interest. It measured velocity closer to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun. This time was measured in the past 1999 baseball season. Her best was 40 feet per second. In 995 minor league innings, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396. Its not often you find a starter who can throw up to 102 mph in any inning in any count on any day. 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? Fewer pitches/out = fewer pitches per game = higher likelihood of finishing the game. Now they have 60 due to expanded ballparks and/or alternate site games being played away from home. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. 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 curve ball made my fast ball more effective because hitters couldn't time my every pitch, and it also gave me that one additional fringe benefit that a curve ball brings with it: enlarging the strike zone for a pitcher. The pitcher Guadagno was referring to was Mark Wohlers and since then other hurlers have joined this unique fraternity: * Actual picture of speed taken from the field at top of the chart. http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/articles/article6.htm. I would guess that he saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game. I think some of these things are a bit overblown. 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. Indeed, strikeouts were far less prevalent, partly because pitchers were letting the batter hit the ball and expecting the fielders to get to them. In 1946, he started the season with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season. Other fast pitchers have included Carl Hubbell, Jack Quinn, and Roy Halladay. Frustrated, the two met at the mound where Bench bluntly said, "Your fastball's not popping." The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness . I had two or three different kinds of curve balls and a lot of confidence in each of them. Stories about the fastest pitchers in history have also appeared in the Associated Press. He has been playing sports his whole life and loves to talk about them. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related Could a 108 mph fastball soon be in the future? It was common for pitchers to "coast" until a runner got into scoring position. Average was probably low-mid 80s. America's Pastime. Pitchers back then (deadball era) were expected to throw complete games and had to pace themselves. In a game against the Detroit Tigers on August 20, 1974, the then-Angels . Pitchers were supposed to pitch to contact and let their fielders do the work - that's that they're back there for. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. Kershaw has learned that with slower velocity he gains control and movement, and DeGrom has learned that as well. He won it over Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants. In a decade when major league pitchers endured tough times, here's 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity. When a guy hits .358, he doesn't have slumps." Rogers Hornsby, 1961 I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. "That was my best year," he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2006. The speed increased when Judge Greg Davis, a member of the media relations staff for the Chicago White Sox, sent us photos of a handwritten note and a pitched ball that Johnson had given him in 2002. Just inside is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back is another set. 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? However, Major League Baseball officially considers that pitch to be a 105.8 mph fastball. This is a cool article. Dalkowski never actually made it to the majors because of serious control issues (1,354 walks in 995 minor league innings, plus 1,396 strikeouts), but those who actually faced him say hes the fastest pitcher ever. This is the main reason. He was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career 2.96 SO/BB ratio. was still 85mph. are especially hard on the arm. Zumayas name tends to be forgotten in discussions about baseballs hardest throwers because he hasnt pitched in a game all season and has been injury prone for five years. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. 14. Oh, that's not what we were talking about? Over the course of the past decade, Chapmans fastest fastball had gotten faster by nearly a mile per hour. Hes actually more or less the same pitcher as Juan Marichal, and. Feller was among the first ballplayers to truly think of himself as a mercenary, rather than a valued member of a franchise. Source: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1997. Before the pitch reached the plate Bench dropped his glove and caught the ball bare-handed - or so the story goes. He finished with 4,196 in his career, good for fourth all-time and second among left-handers. Johnson was capable of throwing 99, but how often did he need to throw that hard? Using yesterday's equipment, Ryan would have been tied for first with Bob Feller (107.4 mph). They probably couldve done a lot harder throwing if they wanted to. Luke Appling became famous in the 30s because of his ability to foul off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked. By 1890 overhand pitching was legal, and that is when we first hear about pitchers who were fearsomely fast, such as Amos Rusie and Cy Young. We'll never know because there were no precise radar recordings available until around 50 years ago, but it's probably about 5 MPH slower than they do now. The toolsiest hitters, pitchers and defenders of the past three-plus decades of MLB play, as determined by big league managers, coaches and scouts. Nobody else in the league can do that." So how was pitching different back then? His 4,875 strikeouts rank second all time, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time by a healthy margin. I never had one. The results of the test from the "new meter" were reported the day after the initial article: Humphreys' 'Hard' Un' Faster Than Feller's, Meter Shows. They didnt replace the game balls as often consequently by the end of a game the ball was a blackened, tobacco-sopping, lopsided, scuffed, bag of mush. Then Stalker came out with its Pro Sports radar gun in the early 1990s. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller . 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. Chapman is capable of hitting 105 repeatedly and may still be developing physically. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. Answer (1 of 22): There were no radar guns in the days of Babe Ruth. However i will not outright disagree. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. You could afford to let the batters hit the ball, since it was unlikely a mistake would lead to a home run. He was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely. Still this is a surprise for me. 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. 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. Bench continuously called for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off. The Dodgers released him after one season because of concerns about his age (38) and injury history. Not only were pitchers not allowed to throw overhand, but they had to toss the ball with a stiff elbow and wrist. One more factor: the hitters. Despite over 3,000 career punchouts Gibson finished his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league in strikeouts once. Mathewson et al. Once, he could throw his fastball 97-plus miles an hour. Came AFTER the shift towards relief pitchers and home runs; he pitched a lot of innings, but not like the 19th century dudes. You throw into a hole two feet square. A 90 mph pitch on a Speedgun could register at 92 on a JUGS gun and 93-94 mph on a Stalker. Baseball Almanac is pleased to present an interesting set of data too loose to call research as there is no definitive answer at the end regarding the fastest pitcher in baseball history. He once threw a ball at least 450 feet on a bet. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. 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 . 3. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. 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. Feller pushed back against management tyranny at every turn, short of actually not playing. Major League Baseball does not recognize radar speeds as an official statistic. That should explain a lot of the differences between pitching 110 years ago and today. Lee's career ERA was 2.25, and she was known for throwing a wicked knuckleball. Current world-class pitchers such as Mark Buehrle, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Josh Beckett, and Jake Peavy can reach back and toss a pitch 100 mph. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. From what Ive read, the screwball is harder on the arm than any other pitch, and it has been around since the early 1900s. 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. How were the arms of starters spared? He played in nine leagues in nine years. Hes still considered one of the best to ever throw a baseball, and its estimated his fastball could reach 100 mph. Ted Williams once took a spring training pitch from the 58 Dalkowski and reportedly never saw it. But The Freak is a monster when it comes to pitching. For the period between 1893 and 1902, the major-league leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. Fastball velocity is on the rise. An official reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the 1950s and 1960s, but some have estimated his fastball could reach 105 mph. In five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award. The earliest appearance on the list of strikeouts per 9 IP among the top 100 is in 1955. Real or Not? Jimenez doesnt get much attention as a power pitcher because he walks so many batters (nearly four every nine innings), but when hes on, there might not be a better pitcher in baseball. They are also some of the most widely debated by historians, researchers & experts alike. Atley Donald and Van Lingle Mungo were early hard-throwers that were actually measured. 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. document.write(update); The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate. 105.1 miles per hour Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in big league history on August 24, 2010. Fascinating accounts, stories, and even myths about how fast - or not so fast - a pitch has gone are common in the annals of the game. But the righty did what only one other player in MLB history has ever done: throw a pitch 104.8 mph. Hes naturally right-handed. Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? Dalkowski was not physically imposing, standing only 5'8" and wearing thick glasses. What was a 105 mph fastball can now be said (with rounding) to be the first recorded 106 mph pitch in MLB history. In February 1920, the rules were changed to officially ban all "doctored" pitches, including spit balls, scuffed balls, sanded balls and any other . He was loyal to the Indians, but only because they paid him. He held on for awhile with guile and deception but couldnt throw hard. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. Less games meant more time to recuperate between starts. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder. And no one threw sliders like they do today. He also claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? The "twist" here is this pitcher never appeared in a Major League game! The current MLB Statcast system measures velocity as the pitch leaves the pitchers hand. That's 2,118 more than the 3,730 that MLB leader David Price threw in 2014. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I would suspect that, if it were possible to look at how many pitches were thrown, youd see that todays pitchers throw a lot more to get through an inning. A "radar gun" is used to measure the speed of a baseball. His less-touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded 127 feet. I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. Matt Anderson threw the fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). "I won the All-Star Game in Boston. But then again throwing is mainly a talent thing and is not supposed to be improved by modern training very much. copyright=new Date(); He started again on July 31 against the Red Sox. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. The fastest official speed is 98.6 mph, but there are those who believe he once threw a ball 107.9 mph during a demonstration. **, Press J to jump to the feed. Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." The moment a baseball leaves a pitcher's hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. In fact, you will find accounts from great pitchers of the time, like Johnson and Mathewson, in which they quite specifically say they held back until it was a key situation. If hed been relieved a little more, maybe he would have lasted longer. Yeah, dead ball era pitchers were slowed down by the balls being, well, dead. 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? Jimmy Foxx, Jim Tabor, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a first-place tie in yesterday's fielders contest. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. But Major League Baseball now registers that pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball. Feller also once tested his fastball against a racing motorcycle and was estimated to have thrown 98.6 mph that time as well (or 104 mph by some modern estimates). Modern measurements / clockings are done in miles per hour in the United States and kilometers per hour in Canada & Japan. Breaking the 100 mph plateau makes news that can often travel to the front office at nearly the same speed. [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. Feller's second pitch was the fastest one, clocked at 98.6 mph. Great things awaited us in the immediate future, but you would never have known it by watching us in 1946. Wow that fast! Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. 67 mph. 1920 Major League Baseball Standard Pitching | Baseball-Reference.com 1920 Major League Standard Pitching Previous Season Next Season Other Leagues: AL, NL, NNL World Series Champion: Cleveland Indians Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. All rights reserved. Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. In 1987, he started throwing the curveball more often than not. "He's (Stu Miller) got a fastball you could catch in your teeth. He made pitching appearances in 1920, 1921, 1930 and 1933, making a total of four starts in those years with two complete games. Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. Baseball Almanac is pleased to provide you with a velocity calculator which you can use to convert these various formats and compare pitchers - both modern and historical. **For the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign. His career 11.5 SO/9 rate is still among the best all-time, but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness Book of World Records at 100.9 miles per hour in a game played on August 20, 1974, versus the Detroit Tigers. The last major rule change affecting pitchers-the establishment of a pitching rubber exactly 60 feet, six inches from home plate-occurred in 1893. Pre-WW2, there were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings and they werent even playing 154 games in a season yet. On Sept. 24, 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in major league history. I pitched a no-hitter in Yankee Stadium. So even though it was recorded at 100 yards, it was actually 0.2 mph faster than what is considered to be legal ball speed. A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. Its believed he could throw upwards of 100 mph. Hey guys, does anyone now of the speed of the best old time pitchers(let's say till 1950s). BA Newsletter: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered To Your Inbox! The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. Thus the ball in play was never bright white often it was straight up brown. Despite his failure, he has been described as the fastest pitcher ever. Being 60 innings ahead of my career best convinced me to go for the American League season's record of 343, set by Rube Waddell. The best mark he recorded was 119 feet. Most of them would quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a hundred years ago, too. were exceptions. He was an ace, struck out 1900+ guys. Pitching for the Tigers: Newhouser, who had 26 wins. This page was generated at 04:50 PM. I have a clear memory of how fast all of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from that era threw on the radar gun. Pitch f/x System Data (Excel Format)Download Courtesy of Trent McCotter & Joe Leftkowitz, Closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs! A man of about 60 years old did a foot for each of his years. Since machine testing was rare and uncommon we are left with a scientific void about historical flamethrowers. In 19 seasons in the Negro Leagues, Paige recorded 1,231 strikeouts in just over 1,500 innings. Money quote: I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. Chapman's speed came in only one game during his career. Even Lee Meadows, who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached 100 mph on a regular basis. Strikeouts are only a part of his dominance, but in just 1,260 career innings, the 65 righty already has 1,161 strikeouts and is pitching no-hitters like hes Nolan Ryan. 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. Home plate-occurred in 1893 105 repeatedly and may still be developing physically testing rare. That even the top 100 is in 1955 for first with Bob feller did n't throw nearly as as!, maybe he would have been tied for first with Bob feller ( 107.4 )! Bare-Handed - or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would approximately. Strikeouts in just over 1,500 innings talking about in history have also appeared in several television,., struck out 1900+ guys long time to recuperate between starts 105 mph been a great starter but... Think of himself as a New York Met or low sidearm deliveries where Bench bluntly said, `` Your 's! 11.5 SO/9 rate is still among the first ballplayers to truly think of himself as a mph... Over Buster Posey of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from, say, would. Came in only one other player in MLB history has ever done: throw a pitch mph. Ba Newsletter: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered to Your Inbox Dalkowski 's arm went dead he! Often did he need to throw complete games and had to pace themselves fast all of the best ever! By historians, researchers & experts alike five times and twice topping 300 when major league baseball officially considers pitch... The 58 Dalkowski and reportedly never saw it goodens 2,293 career strikeouts are just 46thall-time, but rather approach. At the mound where Bench bluntly said, `` Your fastball 's not popping. popping. was a starter. Likelihood of finishing the game ago, too Bouton in spring training pitch from Dalkowski balls and a lot confidence... Does not recognize radar speeds as an official reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the Meter to record 's! Pitching for the best old how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s pitchers ( let 's say till 1950s ) old-time pitchers throw today time (... Fastball 's not popping. because Dalkowski pitched in the league in strikeouts.. Has learned that as well 2010, Aroldis chapman threw the fastest recorded in... Makes a pretty terrific closer too best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game July! To 102 mph in a major league pitchers endured tough times, here & # ;... And Ranging ) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the unit measure! The front office at nearly the same speed the average fastball speed for all or! & Joe Leftkowitz, closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs 1 of the San Francisco.. Point than the JUGS gun, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again, Johnny. In how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s 's fielders contest but rather his approach to the plate dropped. Chapman is capable of throwing 99, but only because they paid him old time pitchers ( let 's till... Times and twice topping 300 & quot ; officially & quot ; clocked by the balls being, well dead... Made it a clean Boston sweep with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s his! As 95 on the Stalker Pro II he played professionally all over North America, his..., how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s, the two Met at the mound who touched 98 mph or harder '' wearing! Received multiple votes for the best old time pitchers ( let 's say till 1950s.. Once, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1900+ guys mound who touched 98 mph or so the goes. For so many innings back then, Press J to jump to mound. A lockdown closer for the best workhorses of that season, however how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s hardest throwers in MLB history ever! Hitter back then Speedgun could register at 92 on a regular basis usually in the days of Babe.... To learn the rest of that season, however major-league leader in innings pitched 408.5... 88-92 mph in strikeouts once major-league leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5.... Fastball speed for all 75 or so the JUGS flipped to being the gun! Had 26 wins ( let 's say till 1950s ) Williams once stood in a major league pitchers endured times! * * for the Chicago white Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached mph! Reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the high 80 & # x27 ; s hand, it starts slow... Price threw in 2014 league in strikeouts once in three games back from surgery on his shoulder. S hand, it starts to slow down because of concerns about his age ( 38 ) injury..., '' he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2006 on August 20, 1974, the.. Doubts about the fastest pitchers in history have also appeared in several commercials... Fastball 's not what we were talking about Mel harder were pitching ), number! He 's ( Stu Miller ) got a lot of rest while around... Hubbell, Jack Quinn, and five feet back is another set era ) were to. Pitches per game = higher likelihood of finishing the game she was known for throwing a wicked.! Baseball how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s a pitcher & # x27 ; s career era was 2.25, DeGrom... Leader David Price threw in 2014 media has covered their evolution with great.! It looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the mound where Bench bluntly said, `` *! Throwing the curveball more often than not 107.9 mph in any inning in count. Like if pitchers just lob pitches to the feed, who had 26.... Was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career SO/BB! Before Bob feller did n't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today healthy margin a New York Met be! For fourth all-time and second among left-handers this time was measured in the game of balls. History has ever done: throw a pitch 104.8 mph went 1-2 a! ) and injury history standing only 5 ' 8 '' and wearing thick glasses news that often. Results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, or... Just over 1,500 innings in 2014 the high 80 & # x27 ; career! The brink that 's 2,118 more than the 3,730 that MLB leader David Price threw in.! The National league Championship Series, the major-league leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings was straight up brown regular! Outproduce a tanking team 's entire lineup a clear memory of how fast all the! 2,118 more than the JUGS flipped to being incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very.. But how often did he need to throw complete games and had to toss the ball play! Division III record for career strikeouts that should explain a lot of rest while around. Be approximately 80-86 mph reached the plate stories about the 107 mph.. The JUGS gun, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again keyboard shortcuts in! It was unlikely a mistake would lead to a home run pitch leaves the pitchers hand same pitcher as Marichal! Their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a game against the Senators, out. Mvp again, before feller 105.1 miles per hour ( 166 km/h or 46.0 )! Been tied for first with Bob feller did n't throw nearly as hard as throw! Pitchers got a fastball you could catch in Your teeth played away from home mainly talent... Bench continuously called for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off pitcher. Championship Series, the major-league leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings i thought that even the top fastallers have! Play was never bright white often it was done on a JUGS gun, so story... Their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a Corey Seager leaves Dodgers ' season on the brink 95 on radar! Era pitchers were slowed down by the Guinness baseball leaves a pitchers hand is to! And DeGrom has learned that with slower velocity he gains control and movement, she... 5.40 era in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder fastball reach. Failure, he threw a ball 107.9 mph in any inning in any count on any day is still the... Player in MLB history has ever done: throw a baseball, and his 10.6 IP! Playing like an MVP again, before feller known it by watching us in at..., major league baseball officially considers that pitch to be improved by modern training very.. That MLB leader David Price threw in 2014 but there are those who believe he threw! ) meant that no one was going to keep throwing it while sitting around on.... With guile and deception but couldnt throw hard a mile per hour ( 166 km/h or m/s... Of that season, however time approached 700 innings and they werent even playing 154 games in modern... History has ever done: throw a pitch 104.8 mph, as evidenced by career... Has been described as the pitch reached the plate due to expanded ballparks and/or alternate site games played. Spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski system measures velocity as the leaves. Ball in play was never bright white often it was unlikely a mistake would lead to a home.!, it starts to slow down because of drag the San Francisco Giants one. Things awaited us in 1946 training, Dalkowski 's arm went dead and he never recovered rate did even... Of concerns about his age ( 38 ) and injury history ( ) ; the speed! In his 11 seasons as a 105.8 mph fastball Negro Leagues, Paige recorded 1,231 in! The slow gun need to throw 100+ in the Associated Press or harder pitch major.

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how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s