LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Angels may have found their new closer for years to come, as 23-year-old rookie pitcher Ben Joyce just threw the fastest ever recorded strikeout pitch in MLB history vs. the LA Dodgers Tuesday night.
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Although the game ended in a loss for the Angels 6-2, the home fans had something to be excited about, as their new young relief pitcher made history during the top of the ninth inning.
To note, the game was tied 2-2, there were two outs, and it was an 0-2 count, Joyce threw a 105.5 mph fastball to get a swing and a miss to strikeout Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman, which finished off a 1-2-3 inning.
ROOKIE BEN JOYCE THROWS FASTEST RECORDED STRIKEOUT PITCH IN HISTORY (105.5 MPH) 😱 @BRWalkoff
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/INIvA4OCCa
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 4, 2024
"I looked up right after and saw it," Joyce said. "It was just a big-time game and all the fans were into it. So I feel like that helped a little bit. It was two strikes, so I kind of just tried to give everything I had."
Even more, this was actually the second time that Joyce threw that fast, as he also was clocked on the radar gun, while in college at Tennessee throwing 105.5 mph.
When asked after Tuesday night's game if he can pitch any faster, he seemed confident.
"I would like to think so," Joyce said. "I guess we'll find out."
To clarify, this was the fastest "strikeout" pitch, but only the third fastest pitch ever recorded (since MLB has tracked pitch velocity since 2008). Notably, Aroldis Chapman was clocked throwing a 105.8 mph fastball (September 2010) and a 105.7 mph pitch (July 2016).
Ben Joyce just threw the 3rd fastest pitch ever, like 8 of the top 10 are all from Aroldis Chapman. https://t.co/YycxI0umge pic.twitter.com/3QseY2D9tR
— Zach Mullis (@zmullis) September 4, 2024
That is to say, Joyce has a lot of time to try and catch Chapman's record, considering that during his outing tonight, he also had four other fastballs clocked at 104.4, 104.0, 103.6 and 103.0 mph, and three of those were thrown past Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who struck out on four pitches.
All in all, during the 10th inning, the coach didn't let Joyce come back out, and as a result, the Dodgers were able to score four runs, as Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked by his former team, and subsequently the next batter Mookie Betts hit a 3-run home run to make the score 6-2.
Walking Ohtani because "he'd rather face Mookie Betts" 😅
🎥: @SportsNetLA pic.twitter.com/PyaQd8MX5P
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 4, 2024
In view of Joyce's performance so far this season, he has been used in a closer role ever since August 3, and since then he has accumulated four saves, while sporting a 2.08 ERA and 1.15 WHIP on the year.
The Angels currently sit at the bottom of the AL West division with a 57-81 record, so Joyce may not be getting too many save opportunities the rest of the way, but when he does take the mound fans will want to watch.
Ben Joyce just threw 105.5mph & here’s a throw back to me catching him in the offseason few yrs back.
He was taking it easy cruising at 97mph, so I was like yo facility record is 98mph, so he goes I gotta beat that, then throws 99mph.
99mph on a indoor mound is diabolical iykyk pic.twitter.com/djM0tiXiCB
— KingofJUCO (@KingofJUCO) September 4, 2024
