- NEW!
by pudzey101 on August 3rd, 2006
The greatest reliably recorded speed at which a baseball has been pitched is 100.9 mph by Lynn Nolan Ryan (California Angels) at Anaheim Stadium in California on August 20, 1974.
>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Nolan_Ryan_Jr
by Coasterman9 on December 15th, 2006
Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers has been clocked at 103 mph
by ESPN writer on March 29th, 2007
I AM A SPORTS WRITER FROM ESPN AND I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THE FASTEST PITCH EVER THROWN IN THE HISTORY OF MLB BASEBALL WAS BY "BILLY WAGNER" IN 2004 HE WAS CLOCKED AT 107 MPH.
by DeviousDub on August 5th, 2009
At the Minnesota Twins Metrodome on july 3rd 2009, the Detroit Tigers Joel Zumaya threw a pitch that was registered at 105. It was in the bottom of the 10th inning i believe (although it may have been the bottom of the 11th, the innings tend to blend into each other in a 16 inning game). It has yet to be "officially" verified (and thus placed among the record books). He registered 1 other pitch at 104 and several more at 103. I personally watched the game and as a Tigers fan, have seen him pitch in about 85% of his games. On a side note, I was at the TIgers-Astros game on 06-27-06 when Zumaya threw 103 in the top of the 8th 3 times. Interestingly, Roger "The Rocket" Clemens started for Astros, and hit 97 mph once, but that pitch looked like a change up in comparison to Zumaya's fastballs. Seeing a fast pitch on TV does NO justice to witnessing that speed in person.
It should be noted though that the Metrodome is one of the the most notorious fields for the ball moving significantly quicker than other fields (and no, the "air conditioner" theory about blowing the ball is a fallacy, the difference in barometric pressure inside the aging dome as opposed to the outdoors or other modern domes is the most likely explanation for this widely known unusual behavior of the ball) This also may be part of the reason why the Twins play so well at home especially in recent history.
Also, The biomechanical limits of the human body based on fixed ratios of arm bone lengths, tendon & ligament maximum strength and the size of the muscles required to throw XXX speed set a scientific and mathematically calculated limit on the speed a ball can be thrown at 105 mph. Any pitch reported to be faster was either thrown by Robocop or was recorded by an inaccurate or outdated radar gun. For instance, Bob Fellers "107 mph pitch" allegedly recorded at an airforce base was corrected and recalculated to be 98 mph, due to the primitive nature of the radar gun (which was just being developed at that time). accurate speed readings on radar guns (for the sake of "records") weren't developed enough to be reliable until the early 1990's, so any pitch speeds recorded before then should not be trusted as accurate.
--> All information (to the very best of my knowledge) is accurate, true and verifiable if you wish to research it.
-If Joel Zumaya could keep his shoulder in one piece, he would be much more formidable. Strangely enough, his offspeed power curveball (thrown between 83-87 mph) seems to be his most effective pitch because of the change of speed and movement that juxtaposes his laser beam 4SFB, but he unfortunately relies almost entirely on his 4SFB, which he typically throws about 90% of the time.
by Bobbie on July 21st, 2008
This year Joba Chamberlain threw one that went 104.
by djones1374 on December 13th, 2010
ok there was no billy wagner 107 fastball the fastest ever CONFIRMED fastball was thrown by the cuban missile aroldis chapman go on youtube mlb.com they all will say the same now there are some hard throwing guys but chapman beats them all and adds an incredibly nasty slider which matches randy johnson's
by timmyfan on October 14th, 2010
srry espn writer but ur wrong cuz the pitcher for the reds in 2010 just threw a 105 and it was recorded as the fastest pitch in baseball history so ur wrong sry
by Matt_H7714 on September 25th, 2010
SAN DIEGO – Aroldis Chapman(notes) was summoned from the bullpen one batter too late to make a difference in the game. No matter. The 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds left-hander made do by making history Friday night, throwing the fastest pitch recorded in a major league game, a 105-mph fastball.
this is from yahoo sports.... it shows the list of the fastest pitches ever recorded in a mlb game starting in the 1980's since the first radar gun wasn't invented until the 1980's
by Anonymous on July 3rd, 2009
i just saw Zumaya pitch 105 no lies
by saybow on April 19th, 2009
the fastest pitch ever recorded during game was joel zumaya in 2006 at 103 mph or 104 mph - depending on source? im from detroit and they told us he hit 104 that night, so who know knows, ryan never hit over 101, but radar guns might not have been as good then?
by bear on March 25th, 2009
Joel Zumaya has the fastest that was ever recorded but we can't say for sure because guys like Bob Feller and Walter Johnson were never truly measured.
by kinzerjr28 on August 4th, 2008
Eric Gagne & Guillermo Mota for the brewers can both pitch 101 mph, seth mcclung, ben sheets, cc sabathia, and derik turnbow all also for the brewers can pitch 100 mph.
by Stevopedia on July 21st, 2008
several people have throwm 104.
Randy Johnson
Joba Chamberlan
Joel Zumia (spelling)
by Chiper on July 13th, 2008
Hi I am From Venezuela I was Wondering The Record Speed... I Found Something Seems A Little Accurate at least have some sense to me http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/LoriGrabel.shtml
I Think The Record Is 103 MPH.... Anything Else Is Hard To Believe.....
Thanks By Read This
Christian Ortiz C --->ChiperOrtiz@Hotmail.com
Venezuela....
by yankfan13 on June 21st, 2008
ive been a big baseball fan for 35 years,an the fastest pitch ive ever seen was by joel zumaya at 103. ive seen joba chamberlin hit 102 on the gun. i dont think a human can throw much harder than that.i have heard stories about players who have thrown 105,110,113,120,an 135 but its just so hard to believe that the human body could take that much punishment without blowin out your arm,an shoulder.
by hellraiser18 on July 20th, 2007
ok
ur all reatarded espically the one that said u cant throw a baseball faster than 100.9
Mariano Rivera when he was freh,young, strong could throw 103 tops maybe 104
by Anonymous on June 6th, 2007
i watched a twins pitcher threw a 102 miles per hour baseball in 2006
by Anonymous on April 10th, 2007
Ryan Cooley and Justin Fielder were clocked in left field bleachers at Comerica Park @ 63.7 mph. FAAAST
by bradyjw on December 20th, 2008
The highest recorded pitch IN A GAME is by Nolan Ryan, however Justin Verlander has been recorded as pitching at over 102 in bullpen. Being that it was not in a gameit is not recorded by Guiness.
by whiteknight on December 18th, 2008
In 1980, Nolan Ryan came to the Astros and was teammed with a man that, until Joel Zumaya, was the only pitcher to throw harder than Ryan himself. That man was J.R.Richard. In 1979, Richard, who had been known to hit 102 on the radar gun in the past, topped his own mark when he recorded a speed of 104 m.p.h.
by baseballfan on October 3rd, 2008
ive heard that satchel paige threw the fastest pitch ever in baseball by just looking at how fast he pitched but back then there were no such things as radar guns and he was in the negroe leagus which at the time didnt matter the only reason they had negroe leagus was because of the war and it amused people . and to add satchel paige was supposedly by some researchers the fastest pirtcher ever
by monkey on August 26th, 2008
nolan ryan 101 is wrong it is randy johnson at 106.5 mph
by monkey on August 26th, 2008
nolan ryan at 101 mph is wrong i know for a fact that it wasrnady johnson in 1997 who threw 106.5 i was there
by JgrumpyC on September 25th, 2008
The record still stands with The Von Ryan Express at 100.9, but I could've sworn that pitchers like Joel Zamaya,Billy Wagner and Ubaldo Jimenez have thrown 101 plus. Of course, it's rumored that stadiums hike up publicly displayed radar guns for fan amusement.
by BJ5123 on September 30th, 2008
Recently i have heard that Fernando Rodney of the detroit Tigers threw a pitch was 104 MPH in a game last year or 2 years ago
by NormalNerd on October 26th, 2008
the fastest pitch that has been verified twice by two radar guns was 100.6 mph by Nolan Ryan in 1973
by nick's name on March 24th, 2009
i threw the bag o' weed out my window while getting pulled over.. the cop's radar thought it was a bullet cause it clocked in his radar over 200 mph....
by Don1237 on July 9th, 2009
I was watching a game a long time ago and on the speed gun on the TV, Rob Dibble a reliefe pitcher throw 101, not sure how accurate that was
by songtitle on August 18th, 2008
eFastball.com already solved this. The problem is where measurement was taken (hand or plate).
1. Nolan Ryan 108.1 (100.9 10ft)
2. Bob Feller 107.6 (98.5 plate)
3. Joel Zumaya 104.8 (93.7 plate)
by DeviousDub on August 5th, 2009
At the Minnesota Twins Metrodome on july 3rd 2009, the Detroit Tigers Joel Zumaya threw a pitch that was registered at 105. It was in the bottom of the 10th inning i believe (although it may have been the bottom of the 11th, the innings tend to blend into each other in a 16 inning game). It has yet to be "officially" verified (and thus placed among the record books). He registered 1 other pitch at 104 and several more at 103. I personally watched the game and as a Tigers fan, have seen him pitch in about 85% of his games. On a side note, I was at the TIgers-Astros game on 06-27-06 when Zumaya threw 103 in the top of the 8th 3 times. Interestingly, Roger "The Rocket" Clemens started for Astros, and hit 97 mph once, but that pitch looked like a change up in comparison to Zumaya's fastballs. Seeing a fast pitch on TV does NO justice to witnessing that speed in person.
It should be noted though that the Metrodome is one of the the most notorious fields for the ball moving significantly quicker than other fields (and no, the "air conditioner" theory about blowing the ball is a fallacy, the difference in barometric pressure inside the aging dome as opposed to the outdoors or other modern domes is the most likely explanation for this widely known unusual behavior of the ball) This also may be part of the reason why the Twins play so well at home especially in recent history.
Also, The biomechanical limits of the human body based on fixed ratios of arm bone lengths, tendon & ligament maximum strength and the size of the muscles required to throw XXX speed set a scientific and mathematically calculated limit on the speed a ball can be thrown at 105 mph. Any pitch reported to be faster was either thrown by Robocop or was recorded by an inaccurate or outdated radar gun. For instance, Bob Fellers "107 mph pitch" allegedly recorded at an airforce base was corrected and recalculated to be 98 mph, due to the primitive nature of the radar gun (which was just being developed at that time). accurate speed readings on radar guns (for the sake of "records") weren't developed enough to be reliable until the early 1990's, so any pitch speeds recorded before then should not be trusted as accurate.
--> All information (to the very best of my knowledge) is accurate, true and verifiable if you wish to research it.
-If Joel Zumaya could keep his shoulder in one piece, he would be much more formidable. Strangely enough, his offspeed power curveball (thrown between 83-87 mph) seems to be his most effective pitch because of the change of speed and movement that juxtaposes his laser beam 4SFB, but he unfortunately relies almost entirely on his 4SFB, which he typically throws about 90% of the time.
by nutballgazette on September 26th, 2009
In its April 1985 edition, Sports Illustrated published an article by George Plimpton that described an incredible rookie baseball player who was training at the Mets camp in St. Petersburg, Florida. The player was named Sidd Finch (Sidd being short for Siddhartha, the Indian mystic in Hermann Hesse’s book of the same name). He could reportedly pitch a baseball at 168 mph with pinpoint accuracy.
by HOLLYWOOD on November 21st, 2009
I HOPE TO THROW 100 TURNED 14 IN AUGUST I THROW 82 ON A STALKE RADAR GUN
by JorgeToth on March 14th, 2009
Lol, around 113. I'm 14 and throw 78 though :p
Ima throw 114 tomorrow, just to throw off the balance.
by bear on February 25th, 2009
Walter Johnson and Bob Feller threw faster than any of these clowns today
by semi on February 6th, 2009
its no more then 102. and that was nolan ryan in the 1970 s. u guys are all wrong. when the juggs batt. weakens the timings become inaccurate. wohlers hit 101 pretty consistantly. i have a juggs gun and i would time him in philly.
by Tec awnser man on February 15th, 2009
Fastball Nolyan Ryan or Satch
by Google a Foo Fighting COAT on February 22nd, 2009
Jaret Wright clocked a wild pitch while playing for the San Diego Padres at 112 mph. The fastest recorded hockey puck was hit by Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins at 109 mph. Just a little comparison.
by Anonymous on February 23rd, 2009
Nolan Ryan threw one that was like 102 mph.
by Google a Foo Fighting COAT on January 17th, 2009
Some claim Walter Johnson threw 105, cause when he threw it, it whistled
by chillchill on June 28th, 2008
If they had enough technology to officially read the velocity of a thrown baseball in 1974, why can't we officially read and record the velocity of a thrown baseball 34 years later. Given today's record-mad society, why wouldn't the Guiness World's Record Book people have recorded Randy Johnson a decade ago, or why wouldn't they be ready to track the pitches of a now-healthy Zumaya? I'm from Detroit and have watched Zoom throw consistent 101-103 mph fastballs in short relief... if it would qualify as an MLB record but the guns at the park are deemed unofficial, why on earth wouldn't they make an attempt to document this legitimately, since their gold standard dates back to 1974? ESPECIALLY considering the illegitimacy they willingly allowed another 1974 gold standard to fall by the wayside. Funny how Barry Bonds' juice-filled final years of his career are fine for the record books, but they put their foot down hard on Zoom's numerous 103mph pitches (clocked by multiple speed guns) due to the inaccuracy of this type of gun. And people think the sport is screwed up.
by rrb6699 on April 25th, 2011
As usual scientific procedure evades everyone here. the pitch should be (should have been all along) measured from the time it leaves a pitchers hand to the time it crosses the plate. THAT WAY it can be measured from all distances from the plate (if you will) so measurements from a specific distance won't cloud the argument. AND the actual speed and decay of speed can be measured correctly. nobody has done this and if anyone has pitched 108 (Nolan Ryan) then it has to be in certain conditions condusive to less resistance of the ball. Oh gee, another factor, the baseball.... Are they using the same baseballs with the same materials, etc. as they did in the early Bob Feller years??? I doubt it. Well, the real answer will never be known will it... unless the measurments are taken as I have stated from now on will they? I'm sure technology can take old film and use the frame rates and calculate approximate speeds along with measurements taken in earlier days, but, i think those pitch speeds of the past will be lost forever.... to speculation and that good ole magic that surrounds baseball.... baseball lore eh?
by HelmetHead on February 24th, 2011
Do you know why all those pitches by Zumaya, Chapman, Wagner, etc. aren't listed as the fastest official pitch on record? Because MLB stadium radar guns are not accurate. Have you ever bought something that said, "for novelty purposes only"? Well, that's what the public radar guns at MLB stadiums are. They're there for the entertainment of the fans, nothing more. First, radar guns need to be calibrated regularly to be accurate. You can get out of a speeding ticket that was clocked by radar if the dept. can't show the gun was calibrated to dept. specs in the required time-frame (which is usually monthly). MLB guns are probably calibrated when they are installed (if that) and then never again. On average, an uncalibrated gun can be off by about 5 percent, which with a pitch thrown around 100 MPH obviously equals 5 MPH. So, a pitch that is actually 99 might show up as anywhere between 94 and 104. Second, many of them are not at ideal distances/angles. To be an accurate (and official) record, it would need to be with a calibrated gun at the proper distance and angles, like what a scout would do for a top prospect. Public stadium guns are just not a proper measure of true speed.
by Nick_M917 on April 25th, 2011
I think aroldis chapman with a 105 miles per hour pitch
by Nick_M917 on April 25th, 2011
Aroldis chapman with a 105 mph pitch
by rhrd on May 19th, 2007
the fastest pitch i have ever seen was in 2002 astos vs. yankees roger clemens throught a fast ball clocked at 117 mph
by Anonymous on April 3rd, 2007
Ross Martin a 6 foot 9 270 pound beast. Absolutley ripped, recently burned a fastball at 104 mph in a game the other night in a high school Div 1 baseball game.
by dniccum7 on September 2nd, 2010
Recently new Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman was clocked at 103.9
by moe777moe on May 28th, 2010
The fastest pitch ever was Kieth "The Human Cannon" Miller of the St. Claire Shores Retard League.
by gtScoop on January 11th, 2010
The fastest pitch[es] ever thrown by a major league pitcher were thrown by Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians. His pitches were clocked and recorded by an US Army Ballistic Ordnance Chronograph Instrument in the 1950's. His pitched baseballs were officially timed at 106 to 108 mph!!! (These measurements were done before the advent of modern hand-held radar units.)
References: History of the Cleveland Indians; Live interviews with Bob Feller[w/Bob Costas]; and, the US Army Ordinance archives.
by gtScoop on January 11th, 2010
The fastest pitch[es] ever thrown by a major league pitcher were thrown by Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians. His pitches were clocked and recorded by an US Army Ballistic Ordnance Chronograph Instrument in the 1950's. His pitched baseballs were officially timed at 106 to 108 mph!!! (These measurements were done before the advent of modern hand-held radar units.)
References: History of the Cleveland Indians; Live interviews with Bob Feller[w/Bob Costas]; and, the US Army Ordinance archives.
When can North Carolina high school baseball teams practice& play out of season?
by Answerbag Staff on August 11th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
When are you eligible to be included in a minor league baseball card?
by Answerbag Staff on August 8th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Who campaigned for scoreboards at baseball games?
by Answerbag Staff on August 2nd, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Have you ever heard of the Bailyn Blue Jays?
by koston100 on November 9th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
I have a 2001 MLBPA Pujols limited edition (#2386) Rookie of the Year coin and wonder what it's worth.
by alicia.berry7 on November 2nd, 2011
| 1 person likes this
You're reading What is the fastest pitch ever thrown in MLB by a pitcher?
Your favorite Q&A site is on Facebook! Become a fan to connect with the ever-growing community of Answerbaggers, share your thoughts and find out what Answerbag's up to next!
Comments
that's a bunch of bull. i've seen pitchers throw 3 straight fastballs at 101 MPH. i've even seen it reach 105.
by dalcowfan22 on December 19th, 2006
No, it was never recorded by an official. The radar guns at the games that display the pitch speed on the scoreboard are inaccurate and are not calibrated correctly. They are usually under-calibrated for fan reactions. The fastest, and most accurate speed recorded by an official, is 100.9 by Nolan Ryans. Although many claimed to have seen him reach 105 at times.
by Drastic on April 3rd, 2007
Drastic is correct. While a pitcher has most likely thrown over 101, it doesn't happen as often as you think. The calibration is one factor on the radar, but stadium often 'bump' the actual speed up a bit to get the fans excited.
by NOYFB on July 3rd, 2008
Joel Zumaya has reliably done 103. There's a reason they call him zoom-zoom.
by Yea on July 28th, 2008
No, Zumaya's readings are exactly what I would describe as not reliable. Maybe he does throw that fast, but the guns they use are not the same as what would be used for an official reading. Also, to please the fans and get them into the game, there is a good chance those readings are inflated by a couple mph. This is coming from a Detroit Tiger and Zumaya fan.
by NOYFB on July 28th, 2008
I agree with you NOYFB to a point, but you must remember Zumaya's fastest pitches were recorded during away games, and (also as a huge Tigers fan) Jim Leyland has not been a fan of zumaya looking over his shoulder after every pitch to see his speed and has turned the stadium speed display off at times so he would focus more on actually pitching, so if anything the gun is toned down at home, although I believe the reading to be accurate, or at least synchronized, with the majority of other ballpark radars based on comparison of speeds thrown by other Tiger pitchers at home vs on the road, which rarely deviate more than 1 mph (that can be attributed to individual performance on any particular given day)
by DeviousDub on August 5th, 2009
DiviousDub, I don't think anyone questions Zumaya's 100+ velocity prior to his shoulder injury, but the reason NOYFB inserted the word "reliable" is because there are no standards for measuring velocity from park to park, and it has nothing to do with the home teams pumping up the radar gun readings for their own players. I saw Mariano Rivera record a 97mph in Cleveland this year. Rivera doesn't throw 97!
It's unlikely that Zumaya threw as hard as Ryan. Zumaya is a reliever, where Ryan was a starter. Zumaya's pitch was recorded at peak velocity as it left his hand, while Ryan's record-setting pitch was recorded by Rockwell engineers approximately ten feet in front of home plate after it had traveled approximately 45 feet from release, meaning it had already lost about five mph from its 105+ max. More amazing to me is it was recorded in the 9th inning (ironically against the Tigers) on approximately the 150th pitch Ryan threw.
Ryan is the hardest thrower ever.
by Netster99 on November 28th, 2009