Ben Joyce’s name first appeared on the national radar — no pun intended — when he threw a 105.5 mph fastball during his redshirt junior year at the University of Tennessee.
A couple months later, the Angels made Joyce their third-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
105.5 MPH 🤯
Tennessee pitcher Ben Joyce broke his own record for fastest pitch in college baseball history.
🎥 @PitchingNinja | H/T @Vol_Baseball pic.twitter.com/uNyTICAJlK — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 1, 2022
Tuesday, he did it again.
When Joyce struck out Los Angeles Dodgers hitter Tommy Edman in the ninth inning, his 105.5-mph fastball earned him a place in history.
Although it wasn’t the fastest pitch ever recorded, it wasn’t far off the 105.8-mph record set by Aroldis Chapman in 2010. Chapman has also touched 105.7 mph in his career; Joyce’s final pitch of the ninth inning Friday now ranks third, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs:
BEN JOYCE
105.5 MPH
THAT’S THE FASTEST STRIKEOUT PITCH IN THE PITCH-TRACKING ERA (2008) AND 3RD-FASTEST PITCH OVERALL (105.8 & 105.7 FROM AROLDIS CHAPMAN) IN SPAN https://t.co/aQ9iGP4LcZ — Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 4, 2024
Unlike Chapman’s fastest two pitches, Joyce’s was used to strike out a batter, making it the fastest strike three in the pitch-tracking era — if not ever.
Joyce, who has used his lifelong obsession with speed to carve out a path to the major leagues, was well aware of what he did in the moment.