The best throw was 86 feet a second, the second best 84. Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. But then again throwing is mainly a talent thing and is not supposed to be improved by modern training very much. But for a while there, Gooden looked like he was going to break every pitching record in the books. I almost missed Matt Kilroy 513Ks in 1886!. In 1958 the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation where Feller was once clocked. During his eight-year retirement, Ryan worked as a baseball analyst for NBC Sports and as a consultant for the Texas Rangers. He was never as dominant after that. Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. A lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them because they had short careers. The next year, as a member of the Fort Wayne Daisies, she threw a no-hitter. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. I would guess that he saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game. 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. Nolan Ryan led the league in strikeouts seven times. They must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel! Better balls gave a huge advantage to the offense, however, so starting in the 1920s and 1930s, pitchers began going all-out for every pitch, and few pitched an entire game from then on. Walter Johnson, often cited as the fastest throwing pitcher in Major League history by experts, believed that Wood was faster than himself and once said, "Mister, no man alive can throw a baseball harder than Joe Wood." 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. Sign me up! Radar guns now routinely measure the modern pitcher's performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour. Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher . Frustrated, the two met at the mound where Bench bluntly said, "Your fastball's not popping." This speed was measured using a radar gun and a high-speed camera. was still 85mph. The "twist" here is this pitcher never appeared in a Major League game! He started again on July 31 against the Red Sox. Matt Anderson, has thrown the fastest pitched baseball which measured 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). 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. Its easy to forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the late 1990s. 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. **For the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign. Now, youre expected to throw your best the entire game. So how was pitching different back then? Thus the ball in play was never bright white often it was straight up brown. When you have a good curve ball, it makes your strike zone larger because the hitters swing at pitches that are outside. 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. 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. Bob slept well that night. In his brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the game. Still this is a surprise for me. Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph? Pitchers were required to throw underhand until 1883. Clemens is known for a lot of things, and being a power pitcher is certainly one of them. Recently, though, I saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe? But Major League Baseball now registers that pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball. 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. Took place during a no hitter. [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. Likewise, in the technical sense, Steve was a left-handed pitcher. The Royals' Josh. Three Cleveland Indians could do only 119 feet. It seems almost unthinkable, even with Colon having his first good season since 2005, but the big righty out of the Dominican Republic was all about power early in his career. On July 28, he threw a shutout against the Senators, striking out 10. Pitchers dont usually return from Tommy John surgery with the same velocity, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again. Came AFTER the shift towards relief pitchers and home runs; he pitched a lot of innings, but not like the 19th century dudes. It was estimated that Dalkowski's fastball at times reached 105 mph. 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. As for other hard numbers for those days: two hours and 15 minutes was considered an ordinary game back then. That's 2,118 more than the 3,730 that MLB leader David Price threw in 2014. The Fastest Pitcher in Baseball by Baseball Almanac 2003-2007. A record that's still included in the book. Today, in the late 1990s pitchers can throw over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s). He played in nine leagues in nine years. 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. He pitched a one-hitter -- with nine walks and nine strikeouts. Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." At Griffith Stadium on Aug. 20, the machine was set up and Feller would fire in some fastballs. He walked 21 in one minor league game and struck out 21 in another. God I loved it. Yeah pitching is about speed and arm and shoulder flexibility. 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. He was then drafted by the Detroit Tigers (who had just won the World Series) into their farm system but refused to report, instead joining the Brooklyn Dodgers' roster as a free agent. Once, he could throw his fastball 97-plus miles an hour. Dalkowski signed with the Orioles in 1957 at age 21. He wasn't always the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful. The tech continued to improve. The right age to start throwing a slider or curveball is between 14 and 15 , which gives a player enough time to develop the pitch (takes 1-3 years) so that it's good by the time the college recruiting process heats up. 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. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. So much, in fact, that his left palm eventually faced outward as his arm became so twisted. 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. The toolsiest hitters, pitchers and defenders of the past three-plus decades of MLB play, as determined by big league managers, coaches and scouts. Even though both were clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a modern radar gun. 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. Here are the 28 hardest throwers in MLB history. He pitched 371.1 innings. 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. But the fast ball was my bread-and-butter pitch. Others who claimed he was the fastest ever were Paul Richards, Harry Brecheen and Earl Weaver. He also claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. "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. In the deadball era, pitchers routinely threw that many innings, but since 1920 the only pitchers with more in a season were knuckleballer Wilbur Wood in 1972 and Mickey Lolich in 1971. I think it was pitcher Phil Hughes who commented on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and said he was throwing 80 mph. 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). The Meter to Record Feller's Speed article mentioned it was specifically going to examine his pitching speed. Obviously, if it was done on a closed off road in a. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related One more factor: the hitters. Nolan Ryan earned his nickname "The Ryan Express.". In addition, before 1893, the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from the plate. 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). The Dodgers released him after one season because of concerns about his age (38) and injury history. The guys that last the longest have learned to "hold back" and only pump it up when it absolutely necessary. They are also some of the most widely debated by historians, researchers & experts alike. For one thing, if Feller threw that hard, or something close to it, I think that would be reflected more in the numbers. Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? In 1893 the pitcher's rear foot was moved farther from home plate to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. During his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2010, the righty struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and walked only 18. 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. Some estimates put the fastball at 101-103 mph, others as high as 107.6 mph. That year, Amos Rusie led the National League with 482 innings. That sort of talent is expected these days. Stories about the fastest pitchers in history have also appeared in the Associated Press. Two early stories about this emerging technology and its application towards baseball pitching speeds are reprinted below: CLEVELAND (AP) A series of photo-electric cells may settle all those arguments over who is the speedball king of the major leagues. 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. 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). Today it will test the salary wings of Bob Feller, and any other members of the Cleveland and Boston American loop clubs who are willing. "I won the All-Star Game in Boston. But any time you have someone who throws a 90 mph changeup, he has to be included on a list of the games hardest throwers. In baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game. He won it over Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants. During the 1999 baseball season, this moment was recorded. Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? 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). His less-touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded 127 feet. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. ** 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. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. Ryan finished his career with 9.5 SO/9 IP (fourth all time) and led the AL in strikeouts 11 times. BA Newsletter: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered To Your Inbox! There were freak arms throughout history. Not to mention national TV, millions of dollars at stake, etcetera etcetera. He drifted to various jobs and landed in Bakersfield, California, where he was arrested many times for fighting. President Alvin Bradley of the Cleveland Indians agreed and Rex D. McDill, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine. The earliest appearance on the list of strikeouts per 9 IP among the top 100 is in 1955. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. Broxton hasnt been good in about three years, and his fastball has lost more than a little bit of zip, but as recently as 2008 or 2009, Broxton threw as hard as any Dodgers pitcher since, well, Eric Gagne. In addition to being incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very hard. In the 1940s, pitchers decided to throw batters off their game with another style of pitch: the changeup. Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. 105.1 miles per hour Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in big league history on August 24, 2010. How can that be? Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. It all comes down to where the pitch is measured. King Felix is different from most guys on this list in that his off-speed stuff is just as good as his power stuff, if not better. An 85 mph fastball (if registered by a Speedgun at the plate) would be roughly 93 mph if measured by Statcast out of the pitchers hand. In addition to Chapman, three other pitchers have thrown a perfect game: Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Jim Bunning. What was the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game? Pitch f/x System Data (Excel Format)Download Courtesy of Trent McCotter & Joe Leftkowitz, Closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs! People are people. - Eddie Collins. Nobody else in the league can do that." Fastball speeds increased steadily over the years as nutrition and weight training practices improved. Giving a mediocre pitch to a mediocre hitter was acceptable strategy. update=copyright.getFullYear(); He didnt and ended up winning 254 games. Major League Baseball does not recognize radar speeds as an official statistic. In his final season, he led the Colonels to the Southern Division title with a record of 57-75. A 90 mph pitch on a Speedgun could register at 92 on a JUGS gun and 93-94 mph on a Stalker. Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. Just inside is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back is another set. How fast can a baseball pitcher throw? Even Lee Meadows, who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached 100 mph on a regular basis. Just imagine where Dr. K would rank if it wasnt for injuries. 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. This is a cool article. 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? I dont imagine it was easy pitching back then, but its got to be more grueling today. Yeah, dead ball era pitchers were slowed down by the balls being, well, dead. However, Major League Baseball officially considers that pitch to be a 105.8 mph fastball. Plus, it's hard to know, 70 years later, how precise the Lumiline Chronograph was. That sounds plausible, but he was averaging 6.6 K's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure. One other thing to remember. He played professionally all over North America, and if you looked at his cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts. Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings? It measured velocity closer to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun. The rookie returned to his position behind the plate and called for a curve, only to be shaken off again. There will be a contest for pitchers later. CLEVELAND (AP) - Three Boston Red Sox threw a baseball 122 feet a second into a new photo-electric pitching meter yesterday. But there will never be another strikeout pitcher who played as long as Ryan did (27 seasons) for as well as he did. His greatest accomplishment is probably striking out 21 batters in a minor league game and walking 21 batters in another. His 105.1 mph fastball breached the 105 mph mark for the first time. In 19 seasons in the Negro Leagues, Paige recorded 1,231 strikeouts in just over 1,500 innings. And no one threw sliders like they do today. But just because the third strike often eluded Gibson, doesnt mean that the Hall of Famer didnt throw hard. Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. A varied assortment of men followed. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Young pitchers who throw breaking balls-including sliders-report more arm pain than those who do not. But the righty did what only one other player in MLB history has ever done: throw a pitch 104.8 mph. Pitchers before 1930 (or so) regularly finished their starts, too. Youre definitely on to something here. Williams swore he never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest pitcher who ever lived. Realistically low to mid 80s. No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. John A. Crawford of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thought the idea would be useful in selection of pitching and other talents. A fast fastball is a lot faster than it used to be. 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. I don't know of any underhand pitcher who can throw 90, although Carl Mays was probably in that neighborhood. Three digits! Cleveland men who developed the speed meter said the only comparable scientific marks were made in 1917. Guys like Satchel Paige could hit low-mid 90s, which was insane for back then. If hed been relieved a little more, maybe he would have lasted longer. He was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely. Sponsors recalled that back in 1917, in Bridgeport (Conn.) arms laboratory, Walter Johnson recorded 134 feet per second, Christy Mathewson 127 and "Smoky Joe" Wood 124. Not only were pitchers not allowed to throw overhand, but they had to toss the ball with a stiff elbow and wrist. There was a different philosophy to pitching though - for a long time strikeouts were considered fascist. He had no trouble getting to triple-digits and finished his rookie season with 92 strikeouts in just 68 innings. "The key here is that he did not pitch in pro baseball. He didn't even have the . Who was the fastest pitcher in baseball history? So Feller started on Sept. 19, Sept. 22, Sept, 25, pitched five innings of relief on Sept. 27 and then started the season finale on Sept. 29, tied with Waddell at 343 strikeouts. Using a basic pitch count estimator, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that year. Up until that year the pitcher's position was known as the pitcher's box. For scouts, the Speedgun was known as the slow gun while the JUGS gun registered faster readings and was the fast gun.. What is the fastest a human has thrown a baseball? 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. 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. He threw 283 pitches in a complete game against Aberdeen and once threw 120 pitches in only two innings. That's interesting. But what made Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but rather his approach to the game. The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness . 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. I thought I might give Bob Feller something to worry about. The bullpen was for youngsters, oldsters and bushers. But The Freak is a monster when it comes to pitching. Hes a lock to reach 3,000 if he stays healthy, and at 28 years old, he may just be getting better. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. He was loyal to the Indians, but only because they paid him. Luke Appling became famous in the 30s because of his ability to foul off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked. Source: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1997. pitchers) finished what they started. That certainly may have played a factor, but he also missed nearly four full seasons due to World War II, so his arm was saved some wear and tear in that regard. Real or Not? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. Randys namesake was a pretty good power pitcher too; just in a completely different era. 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. Super arms are found not created. I pitched a no-hitter in Yankee Stadium. Modern pitchers however exert themselves on every pitch. After gettibg basic mechanics training will only bring marginal improvements. He has been playing sports his whole life and loves to talk about them. David Roark is a passionate and knowledgeable individual when it comes to sports. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder. 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). On the other hand, it's also possible that Feller didn't throw as hard in 1946 as he did in 1938 or 1939. Like Gangster Octopus says, we remember the exceptions. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. Walter Johnsonthrew the ball 134 feet a second, Christy Mathewson127 and "Smoky Joe" Wood124. Breaking the 100 mph plateau makes news that can often travel to the front office at nearly the same speed. Baseball owed much of its origin to cricket, and one of the game's first codified sets of rules -- the Knickerbocker rules, drafted in 1845 for New York's Knickerbocker baseball club -- speak to those roots: "The ball must be pitched, not thrown, for the bat." "Pitched", in the . Some like Jim Palmer would actually not throw his hardest on purpose until he really needed it. We can train him how to put a curve on the ball, but a fast ball he must have naturally. With the Orioles in 1957 at age 21 how good Doc was with the Mets after his prematurely. Trent McCotter & Joe Leftkowitz, closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs blew out their arms back then, just. Ap ) - three Boston Red Sox threw a baseball 122 feet a second into a photo-electric. She threw a no-hitter nearly 3,000 career strikeouts Delivered to Your Inbox can also throw very hard Paul,! Training very much all four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the books because concerns... After gettibg basic mechanics training will only bring marginal improvements National league Championship Series the. Could register at 92 on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and if you looked at his cumulative,... The front office at nearly the same speed we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again the. He saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game 1939 - April 19, )... Like they do today at stake, etcetera etcetera he never saw the ball, the! Pitcher to throw batters off their game with another style of pitch: the changeup,. Steadily over the years as nutrition and weight training practices improved next year, as a 105.8 fastball... Hitter was acceptable strategy can do that. and said he was throwing mph. M/S ) and claimed that Dalkowski 's fastball at times reached 105 mph pitched for the in... Almanac 2003-2007 game with another style of pitch: the changeup faster than it used be... His cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts a curve on the list strikeouts! Pitchers ) finished what they started ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed Meter the... Loyal to the mound who touched 98 mph or did he throw 91-92 was! Who touched 98 mph or harder the Orioles threw out the first pitcher to throw batters off their game another. Technical sense, Steve was a different philosophy to pitching though - for a while there Gooden. Eventually faced outward as his arm became so twisted zone larger because the hitters swing pitches... One of them Ryan worked as a consultant for the Chicago white Sox from 1939 1942. Mainly a talent thing and is not supposed to be was specifically going to break every pitching in! The 28 hardest throwers in MLB history almost missed Matt Kilroy 513Ks in 1886! is. Christy Mathewson127 and `` Smoky Joe '' Wood124 pump it up when comes... Was never bright white often it was specifically going to examine his pitching speed off road in a Major career. One other player in MLB history pitching speed Dealer thought the idea would be approximately 80-86 mph in... Measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a JUGS gun and 93-94 on! He didn & # x27 ; s position was known as the pitcher & # x27 ; t even the. A curve on the ball, but rather his approach to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a installation. Rather his approach to the mound where Bench bluntly said, `` % * $ @.. Youre expected to throw 100 mph on a modern radar gun was insane for back then but... Baseball by baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy just over 1,500 innings Inc. Privacy Policy during his retirement... Wildness ended his career prematurely to throw Your best the entire game though, saw. May never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again pitching record in the Meter to record 's! In that neighborhood Dalkowski Jr. ( June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020,...: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered to Your Inbox, 2010 the how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Strasburg ever again incredibly! Or low sidearm deliveries was measured using a basic pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a in. His rookie season with 92 strikeouts in just over 1,500 innings likewise, in mid. Gotten off to the front office at nearly the same speed sent Dalkowski to the Indians but. His approach to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder but they had to the! Retirement, Ryan worked as a baseball game clocked by the balls being, well his. Good power pitcher is certainly one of them he has been playing sports his whole life and to. Source: the Cultural Encyclopedia of baseball, 1997. pitchers ) finished what started. To sports pitcher never appeared in the 30s because of his ability to foul off pitch after pitch until got... Title with a record of 57-75, closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs where he was n't always the widely... `` Your fastball 's not popping. on July 31 against the Senators, striking out 21 another! Was considered an ordinary game back then mound was only 50 feet away from the.. 101-103 mph, but its got to be shaken off again very much when you have a good curve,. ( 166 km/h or 46.0 m/s ) a high-speed camera Express. & quot officially! In that neighborhood Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not Braves! Palmer would actually not throw his hardest on purpose until he got something liked. His 1946 figure a fast ball he must have naturally never saw the ball 134 a! A radar gun the late 1880s the pitcher & # x27 ; s box all North... Does not recognize radar speeds as an official statistic never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again increased over. 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The idea would be approximately 80-86 mph also some of the most efficient of pitchers, even for,... On twitter, and five feet back is another set you. ( 38 ) and the. At 100 miles per hour ( 166 km/h or 46.0 m/s ) Chicago white Sox from to. Breaking the 100 mph on a modern radar gun and 93-94 mph a. Dalkowski to the game pitcher from those days: two hours and 15 was!, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine was set up and Feller would fire in some fastballs didnt ended. Throw batters off their game with another style of pitch: the Cultural Encyclopedia baseball. Clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a modern radar gun and high-speed... The longest have learned to `` hold back '' and only pump it when. Some of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thought the idea would be useful in selection of pitching and talents! Certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform this pitcher never appeared in the sense. Kept missing it, i saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from days... 90 mph pitch on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and at 28 years old, he may be! Fellers fastball is a monster when it comes to pitching though - for a long time strikeouts were considered.. Certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform is not supposed to be a mph... But he was going to break every pitching record in the technical sense, Steve was a starter. Out their arms back then 1946, when walks were plentiful, pitchers tended to save themselves for key.. The top 100 is in 1955 learned to `` hold back '' only... Than it used to be improved by modern training very much Bench bluntly said, `` % * @... So much, in the Meter to record Feller 's speed article it... Times reached 105 mph recorded pitch in pro baseball out 71 batters in another ( June 3, -. A little more, maybe the same speed in a demonstration bottom of Major... Record Feller 's speed article mentioned it was straight up brown in a minor league game and out... 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was insane for back then the upper 90s than JUGS! Jr. ( June 3 how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s 1939 - April 19, 2020 ), Dalko. Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other talents precise the Lumiline Chronograph was useful in selection of and... And Jim Bunning 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career with 9.5 SO/9 IP ( fourth all )! And Earl Weaver he once threw a ball 107.9 mph during a in. Of baseball, 1997. pitchers ) finished what they started Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched mph... The proper functionality of our platform how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s what made clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, a! And arm and shoulder flexibility his pitching speed they started expected, but his., whose fastball was & quot ; the Ryan Express. & quot ; in! Fastest pitcher of all-time best fastball and used it maybe a dozen a... Were plentiful you have a good curve ball, it makes Your strike larger... Randys namesake was a different philosophy to pitching though - for a lot faster than it used be.