Welcome to baseball’s version of a superhero movie—where normal-looking humans somehow launch baseballs at speeds that would get them multiple speeding tickets on most highways. Statcast, MLB’s high-tech snitch since 2015, has been exposing pitchers and their otherworldly arm strength for years now.
This technology transforms those “did he really throw 100?” moments into cold, hard data that even your baseball-hating friends can’t argue with. Ready to tour baseball’s Velocity Valhalla? Here’s who’s been leaving radar guns smoking and batters questioning their career choices.
27. Los Angeles Dodgers: Brusdar Graterol
Graterol doesn’t just throw baseballs; he launches missiles disguised as sinkers. His 102.5 mph heater in 2021 nearly registered on local earthquake monitors. Dodger Stadium has seen plenty of pitching legends, but few have matched Graterol’s raw power.
When he struck out Arizona’s Christian Walker with a 101.9 mph sinker that moved like it was possessed, even veteran Dodgers fans gasped. In a franchise known for pitching legends from Koufax to Kershaw, Graterol’s velocity represents the modern evolution of the craft. He combines precision with overwhelming power in a package that leaves hitters questioning their life choices.
26. Toronto Blue Jays: Nate Pearson
Baseball fans everywhere drool over Pearson’s arm like it’s the last slice of pizza at 2 AM. In 2021, he fired a 101.8 mph rocket at Yankees infielder Tyler Wade. Poor guy probably aged five years during that at-bat.
Toronto’s catcher Alejandro Kirk somehow caught this missile without his mitt bursting into flames. Five days earlier, Pearson melted the atmosphere with a 101.5 mph heater that turned Baltimore’s Austin Hays into a living statue. Talk about making an entrance—Pearson introduced himself to the league by basically throwing baseballs through time itself.
25. Baltimore Orioles: Felix Bautista
Bautista treats physics like it’s just a polite suggestion he can ignore. During the 2022 season, this Dominican destroyer uncorked a 103.1 mph fastball so wild that even All-Star backstop Adley Rutschman couldn’t wrangle it. His pitches move like a squirrel that’s had way too much caffeine.
Earlier that year, he casually delivered a 102.0 mph strikeout pitch to Pittsburgh’s O’Neill Cruz. The batter had approximately zero milliseconds to decide whether to swing. Camden Yards needed to update their fire safety protocols after Bautista arrived—his pitches have been known to set off smoke alarms.
24. Tampa Bay Rays: Max Castillo
The Rays, baseball’s equivalent of that friend who finds designer clothes at thrift stores, struck gold with Castillo. In 2018, he painted a 101.9 mph sinker across Rugelio Odor that moved so violently it should’ve come with a motion sickness warning.
His 100.8 mph strikeout pitch combined movement and speed in a way that batters found absolutely maddening. Tampa’s player development wizards probably high-fived so hard after discovering Castillo that they sprained their wrists. (Seriously though, how do the Rays keep finding these guys in the baseball equivalent of couch cushions?)
23. Boston Red Sox: Joe Kelly
Kelly’s time in Boston featured fastballs that seemed to arrive before he even released them. His 102.2 mph heater in 2017 nearly tunneled through the backstop and emerged somewhere in downtown Boston. You half expected to see it on the evening news causing traffic problems.
His fastest strikeout pitch? A casual 101.3 mph dart that caught the corner with surgical precision. Kelly’s control sometimes took vacations without telling him, but when arm and aim aligned, batters contemplated early retirement between pitches.
22. New York Yankees: Aroldis Chapman
Chapman doesn’t just throw baseballs; he launches heat-seeking missiles that happen to be MLB-approved. When he joined the Yankees in 2016, physicists had to revise textbooks about human limitations. His 105.7 mph fastball to JJ Hardy remains the official MLB land speed record.
For perspective, this pitch travels from mound to plate in just 0.395 seconds—about half the time it takes to blink. Throwing THREE pitches above 105 mph in one game shouldn’t be physically possible. His 103.9 mph strikeout pitch would be a career highlight for literally anyone else, but for Chapman, it’s just Tuesday.
21. Cleveland Guardians: Emmanuel Clase
Clase throws a cutter so fast it should come with its own warning label. His 102.6 mph offering in 2021 against the Yankees moved like it was being controlled remotely. Not fair.
The true magic isn’t just the speed—it’s that his pitches break like they’ve suddenly remembered an urgent appointment elsewhere. His 101.8 mph strikeout cutter makes batters look like they’re trying to swat mosquitoes with a pool noodle. Cleveland fans have been known to arrive early just to watch this sorcery during warmups.
20. Kansas City Royals: Aroldis Chapman
Chapman’s brief Royals stint was like when your small town gets visited by a celebrity. His 103.8 mph fastball to Jake Cronin wasn’t just a pitch—it was a statement: “I may be older but I can still throw faster than your car’s top speed.”
By this point in his career, Chapman had mellowed to merely superhuman velocity (rather than his earlier extraterrestrial levels). Kansas City fans got to experience something truly rare—like spotting Bigfoot riding a unicorn, except there’s actual video evidence.
19. Detroit Tigers: Bruce Rondon/Gregory Soto
Rondon’s legendary 102.1 mph fastball in 2015 exists in that foggy realm of “we swear it happened” since early Statcast footage is harder to find than matching socks in a dryer. His documented 101.7 mph pitch to Boston’s Hanley Ramirez the following year confirmed he wasn’t just a velocity urban legend.
Gregory Soto later claimed Detroit’s strikeout velocity crown with a 101.3 mph fastball. This pitch arrived before the batter’s brain could send the “swing” message to their arms. Motor City loves engines that produce power, and these pitchers’ arms qualify as V8s.
18. Minnesota Twins: Jhoan Duran
Duran doesn’t just throw baseballs; he teleports them from the mound to the catcher’s mitt. His 104.6 mph pitch against the Giants in 2023 traveled so fast it probably violated some law of thermodynamics. The batter managed to foul it off—an achievement worthy of its own trophy.
When Duran struck out Casey Schmidt with a 104.0 mph fastball, the poor man’s bat might as well have been made of wet spaghetti. Target Field scoreboard operators had to double-check their radar readings, suspecting their equipment had gone haywire. (Can you imagine being the catcher? That’s a workplace hazard nobody warns you about in high school.)
17. Chicago White Sox: Gregory Santos/Garrett Crochet
The White Sox collect high-velocity arms like teenagers collect limited-edition sneakers. Santos unleashed a 103.1 mph sinker to Randy Rosario that was less “pitch” and more “physics experiment gone rogue.” Fast. Stupid fast.
Not to be outdone in the velocity arms race, Garrett Crochet struck out Cincinnati’s Jose Barrero with a 101.5 mph fastball in 2020. South Side fans have developed neck problems from their heads snapping back after watching these pitches fly by. Medical insurance should cover “velocity whiplash.”
16. Los Angeles Angels: Shohei Ohtani
Because being baseball’s best hitter wasn’t enough, Ohtani decided to casually throw baseballs at speeds that would get you arrested on most highways. His 101.4 mph strikeout fastball in 2021 was just showing off, really. Watching Ohtani pitch is like watching someone casually break Olympic records while also writing a symphony.
While other Angels were just hoping to make the team, Ohtani was casually redefining human potential on a nightly basis. If Marvel created a baseball superhero, they’d tone down Ohtani’s skills to maintain believability. The two-way star makes the impossible look routine, leaving fans and teammates equally awestruck.
15. Houston Astros: Ken Giles/Gerrit Cole
Houston’s pitching lab apparently includes a secret “add 5 mph to your fastball” button. Giles found it and unleashed a 101.7 mph fastball that probably left scorch marks on the catcher’s mitt. Smoke actually visible.
Cole, not to be outdone, struck out Jared Parker with a 101.1 mph heater in 2019. This pitch may have briefly altered Earth’s rotation. Houston’s analytical approach to pitching somehow turns ordinary arms into physics-breaking machines while maintaining pinpoint accuracy. (Whatever they’re doing, other teams should probably take notes.)
14. Oakland Athletics: Mason Miller
Miller arrived in Oakland throwing baseballs so fast the team might need to register them as lethal weapons. His 102.5 mph pitch against Chicago’s Patrick Wisdom in 2023 missed the zone but not the radar gun’s “holy cow” threshold.
When he struck out Wisdom later with a 101.5 mph fastball, the batter had approximately the reaction time of someone trying to dodge a sneeze. Miller provides rare excitement for A’s fans during rebuilding years—like finding a diamond in your breakfast cereal when you were just hoping for the toy.
13. Seattle Mariners: Andres Munoz
Munoz throws baseballs with the casual disregard for physics that teenagers have for their parents’ advice. His 103.2 mph fastball to Houston’s Alex Bregman in 2022 traveled so fast it probably arrived yesterday.
When he struck out San Diego’s Manny Machado with a 102.5 mph heater, even Machado—one of baseball’s best—looked bewildered. The All-Star appeared to be swinging a toothpick at a passing jet. T-Mobile Park’s retractable roof stays closed when Munoz pitches, not for rain protection but to prevent his fastballs from achieving orbit.
12. Texas Rangers: Emmanuel Clase/Jacob deGrom
Texas doesn’t just go big—it goes supersonic. Clase’s 101.8 mph cutter to Atlanta’s Matt Olson in 2019 moved like it had its own GPS system. The pitch decided to take a detour at the last second, leaving Olson looking completely baffled.
deGrom later joined the velocity party with a 101.2 mph strikeout pitch that combined surgical precision with wrecking ball force. Texas finally figured out you don’t need air conditioning when your pitchers generate this much wind speed from the mound. (Everything really is bigger in Texas, including radar gun readings.)
11. Atlanta Braves: Mauricio Cabrera
Cabrera didn’t just set Atlanta’s velocity record—he absolutely hoarded it. His 104.2 mph fastball in 2016 was like bringing military hardware to a water gun fight. No chance.
The fact that he owns ALL THIRTY-THREE of Atlanta’s fastest recorded pitches is the baseball equivalent of winning every medal in an Olympic event. His brief career burned bright and fast—like his fastball, which Braves fans still talk about with the reverence usually reserved for religious experiences.
10. Miami Marlins: Tayron Guerrero
Guerrero’s 104.0 mph fastball in 2018 traveled so fast it probably violated several local ordinances. The batter somehow fouled it off, an achievement worthy of a separate plaque in the baseball Hall of Fame. Seriously, they should have stopped the game right there and given him a certificate.
His fastest strikeout the following year left Miami fans wondering if the radar gun had secretly been replaced with a random number generator. In a city known for its heat, Guerrero’s fastball managed to raise the temperature a few more degrees whenever he took the mound.
9. New York Mets: Edwin Diaz
Diaz doesn’t just close games—he slams them shut, locks them, and throws away the key. His record-setting 102.8 mph game-ending strikeout caused such a frenzy at Citi Field that local seismologists checked their equipment. That’s how you make an exit.
Before departing for Texas, Jacob deGrom contributed a 102.2 mph fastball to Washington’s Juan Soto in 2020. This pitch probably arrived before Soto even saw it leave deGrom’s hand. Mets fans, historically tortured by late-inning collapses, finally found relief in Diaz’s velocity. No prescription required, just a ticket to the game.
8. Washington Nationals: Enny Romero
Romero’s brief Washington tenure featured a 101.5 mph fastball that announced “I’m here” with all the subtlety of a foghorn at a library. Hard to ignore that kind of entrance.
His 100.7 mph strikeout pitch made even Freddie Freeman—one of baseball’s most composed hitters—look like he was swinging underwater. While not as celebrated as other velocity kings, Romero provided a glimpse into an alternate universe where he harnessed this gift consistently. Nationals fans still occasionally wake up wondering what could have been.
7. Philadelphia Phillies: Jose Alvarado
Alvarado’s 103.2 mph sinker to Atlanta’s Michael Harris II in 2022 didn’t just move—it took a scenic detour and still arrived faster than human reaction time allows. His pitches defy explanation, like trying to understand the plot of a Christopher Nolan movie on first viewing.
His 101.7 mph strikeout pitch to Josh Bell featured movement so late it should be classified as a plot twist. Phillies fans have developed a specific cheer that sounds suspiciously like “Holy *%$#!” whenever Alvarado enters a game. Batters facing him have been known to suddenly develop “strategic leg cramps” requiring substitution.
6. Milwaukee Brewers: Naftali Feliz/Ray Black
Milwaukee’s velocity records would be headline news for most franchises but feel like a school zone speed limit in this flamethrowing era. Feliz’s 100.9 mph fastball in 2017 walked so other pitchers’ 105 mph pitches could run. Still impressive! Just…contextually less so.
Ray Black’s 100.2 mph strikeout pitch flirted with triple digits like someone nervously approaching their crush at a party. The Brewers only having six pitches over 100 mph in the Statcast era is like being the only person at a motorcycle rally on a bicycle. Technically you’re still moving, but not quite keeping pace with the crowd.
5. St. Louis Cardinals: Jordan Hicks
Hicks doesn’t throw sinkers—he unleashes guided ground-seeking missiles. His twin 105.0 mph pitches in 2018—one to Philadelphia’s Odubel Herrera and another strikeout to the Mets’ Juan Lagares—weren’t just fastballs. They were physics-defying acts of rebellion.
What makes Cardinals fans wake up in cold sweats isn’t just the velocity. It’s that these 105 mph pitches ALSO sank like they were suddenly reminded about gravity mid-flight. How? Busch Stadium security should have checked Hicks for hidden supernatural powers at the entrance.
4. Chicago Cubs: Aroldis Chapman
Chapman’s 2016 Cubs stint was baseball’s equivalent of hiring an F1 driver for pizza delivery—spectacular overkill that gets results. His 105.1 mph pitch that J.T. Realmuto somehow fouled off deserves its own museum exhibit. The sound probably echoed through Wrigleyville like a sonic boom.
His game-ending 104.4 mph strikeout of Baltimore’s Chris Davis probably rattled the ivy on Wrigley’s outfield walls. Cubs fans, who’d waited over a century for a championship, suddenly found themselves with a closer who could throw baseballs that broke the sound barrier. (The curse never stood a chance against physics-defying heat.)
3. Pittsburgh Pirates: Arquimedes Caminero
With a name straight out of a baseball fiction novel, Caminero lived up to the billing with his mythical arm strength. His 102.7 mph fastball in 2016 that Chicago’s Addison Russell somehow tapped back to the mound defied both physics and good batting strategy.
His 101.4 mph strikeout pitch arrived at the plate so quickly it seemed to bend space-time. Pirates fans, always appreciative of hidden gems in an organization that historically pinches pennies tighter than a toddler grips candy, recognized they were witnessing rare talent. Even if his command sometimes took scenic routes through neighboring counties.
2. Cincinnati Reds: Aroldis Chapman
Chapman’s Cincinnati years were baseball’s version of witnessing something completely new—like seeing color television for the first time. His legendary 106 mph pitch to Andrew McCutchen in 2010 remains baseball’s unofficial velocity Big Bang—the moment when everyone realized human arms weren’t supposed to do that.
His 103.7 mph strikeout of Detroit’s James McCann would be a career-defining achievement for literally any other pitcher. For Chapman, it ranks as a Tuesday afternoon. Reds fans who witnessed the Chapman era have the same look in their eyes as people who’ve seen something impossible. They know what they saw, even if nobody believes just how extraordinary it really was.
1. Arizona Diamondbacks: Carlos Vargas
Vargas brought the kind of heat to Arizona that makes the actual desert seem cool by comparison. His 101.3 mph fastball in 2022 established a new franchise record that made previous record-holder Rubby De La Rosa’s 100.8 mph look pedestrian. In any other context, that would be insanely fast.
Diamondbacks fans, accustomed to watching baseballs fly out of their hitter-friendly park, suddenly got to experience the ball traveling just as quickly toward home plate. Physics professors at Arizona State University reportedly use Vargas pitch videos in their classes. When your fastball becomes educational material, you know you’re doing something right.
