How fast did pitchers throw in Babe Ruth's time?
The best pitchers' velocity in Ruth's day topped out at about 90 miles per hour, while relievers you've never heard of now flirt with 100 mph fastballs.
1. Nolan Ryan. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryan's 100.9 mph fastball. But there will never be another strikeout pitcher who played as long as Ryan did (27 seasons) for as well as he did.
Hard-throwing Walter Johnson again helped out in 1914 when his pitch velocity was measured against a speeding motorcycle. This time his pitch came in at a more realistic 99.7 miles per hour.
Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 – April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher. He was sometimes called the fastest pitcher in baseball history and had a fastball that probably exceeded 100 mph (160 km/h).
Answer: While it is possible Koufax could hit 100 mph in his younger years, the fastest pitch he ever threw which was recorded was in the low 90s. Koufax was obviously one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history, but his breaking balls were what was so devastating.
How fast was Bob Gibson's Fastball? Bob Gibson's 4-seam fastball “sat” between 92-95 mph in the sample I considered. It's likely he actively varied his grip or intended velocity, producing a high velocity range, measured at 87-95, with numerous indications that he regularly exceeded 95 mph.
The Fastest Pitch Ever: Aroldis Chapman's 106 MPH Heater
On September 24, 2010, former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman, who hails from Cuba, delivered a 105.1-mph fastball, measured by Statcast, in a game against the San Diego Padres, which is recognized as the Guinness World Record for fastest pitch ever.
The 20-year-old right-hander and Chicago's third-ranked prospect was recorded hitting 110 mph on a radar gun during a workout at APEC, the facility in Texas where he trains during the offseason. The workout involved throwing against a screen using three-ounce and four-ounce balls, followed by a regular baseball.
Bill "Spaceman" Lee threw an eephus referred to as the "Leephus", "spaceball" or "moon ball". Pitching for the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the 1975 World Series, the Red Sox were up 3–0 when, on a 1–0 count, Lee threw an eephus pitch to Tony Pérez with a runner on base.
The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness Book of World Records at 100.9 miles per hour in a game played on August 20, 1974, versus the Detroit Tigers. A record that's still included in the book.
How fast did Bob Feller actually throw?
Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph (167 km/h) at Lincoln Park in Chicago. He also is credited with throwing the second fastest pitch ever officially recorded, at 107.6 mph (173.2 km/h), in a game in 1946 at Griffith Stadium.
Spitballs and Sliders: 1900s to 1920s
As baseball began to grow as a sport, pitchers developed an edge with the next pitch that appeared in their arsenal: the spitball.
