What Was The Fastest Baseball Pitch Ever?

In this article, we’ll take a look at the fastest baseball pitch ever recorded. We’ll also discuss how the pitcher who threw it, Aroldis Chapman, stacks up against other hard-throwing pitchers.

Introduction

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws the ball to the catcher who then tries to hit it. The speed of the pitch is important, as it makes it harder for the hitter to hit the ball. The faster the pitch, the more likely it is that the hitter will miss.

There have been a number of claims for the fastest baseball pitch ever thrown, but the true speed depends on a number of factors. The Guinness World Record for the fastest baseball pitch is held by Aroldis Chapman, who threw a pitch at 105.1 miles per hour (169.1 kilometers per hour) in 2010. However, this record may not be representative of the fastest possible pitch, as Chapman was using a special fastball grip that is banned in most professional leagues.

Other pitchers have been clocked at speeds above 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour), but these pitches may not have been thrown under competitive conditions or may have used illegal grips. The speed of a pitched ball can also vary depending on factors such as humidity and wind resistance. For these reasons, it is difficult to say definitively which pitcher has thrown the fastest baseball pitch ever.

Aroldis Chapman’s 105.1 mph Fastball

In 2010, Aroldis Chapman, a Cuban pitcher who had just begun playing Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds, delivered a 105.1 mph pitch against the San Diego Padres. This is widely recognized as the fastest baseball pitch ever recorded.

While Chapman’s feat is certainly impressive, it’s important to note that major league baseball stadiums generally have radar guns that measure the speed of pitches as they cross home plate. However, these speeds can be affected by a number of factors, including the type of pitch being thrown (e.g. a fastball vs. a curveball), the type of bat being used, and even the weather conditions on game day.

As such, it’s possible that there have been other pitches thrown that were even faster than Chapman’s 105.1 mph fastball, but were not accurately measured by radar guns. For example, in 2014, a Japanese pitcher named Yu Darvish was clocked at 105.8 mph by a Japanese TV station during a game against the Hanshin Tigers. However, Darvish himself has said that he doesn’t believe this pitch was actually his fastest ever, as he had been throwing harder in practice leading up to the game.

In any case, Aroldis Chapman’s 105.1 mph fastball remains the fastest pitch ever recorded by an MLB player in a official game setting.

Nolan Ryan’s 100.9 mph Fastball

In 1974, Nolan Ryan of the California Angels threw a fastball that was clocked at 100.9 miles per hour. To this day, it is widely considered to be the fastest baseball pitch ever thrown. Ryan went on to have a illustrious career, pitching for 27 seasons and becoming one of the most revered players in the history of the game.

Joel Zumaya’s 102.9 mph Fastball

In game two of the 2006 American League Championship Series, Detroit Tigers’ rookie Joel Zumaya delivered a 102.9 mph fastball to the New York Yankees’ Gary Sheffield. It is believed to be the fastest recorded pitch in baseball history.

Zumaya was just 20 years old at the time and had only pitched in 26 major league games. He became an overnight sensation with his lightning-fast delivery, and fans started calling him “Thor” after the mythical Norse god of thunder.

The young pitcher continued to wow fans with his arm speed over the next few seasons, but injuries began to take their toll and he was never able to regain his early form. He last pitched in the majors in 2011 and retired from baseball in 2013.

Conclusion

Although there have been some reports of extremely fast pitches, the fastest verified pitch in baseball history was clocked at 105.1 miles per hour. This record was set by Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds in 2010.