Fastest Pitchers to Ever Throw a Baseball
a Yourlist ranking · the crowd decides the order
From Nolan Ryan's stopwatch-era heat to Aroldis Chapman's radar-busting 105.8, who really deserves the crown for pure arm speed? Vote and rank them.
What counts: Ranking is based on the highest credibly reported fastball velocity (in mph) attributed to each pitcher, weighted toward readings captured by trusted radar/Statcast systems. All figures are approximate and drawn from historical reporting — pre-1970s numbers especially were measured with primitive or
The Cuban Missile's 105.8 mph heater against the Padres in 2010 remains the fastest pitch ever recorded by Statcast-grade equipment, a number no one has topped since. He's turned triple digits into a routine relief weapon for over a decade, making him the modern benchmark for pur
Top Recorded Speed: 105.8 mphYear Recorded: 2010Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: Cincinnati Reds
added by IJRAroldis Chapman
0Ben Joyce
A Tennessee closer turned Angels flamethrower, Joyce hit 105.5 mph in the minors and has flirted with triple digits routinely in the big leagues, arriving as the most credible threat to Chapman's record in the Statcast era. His arm health remains the only thing standing between h
Top Recorded Speed: 105.5 mphYear Recorded: 2023Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: Los Angeles Angels
added by IJR
0Jordan Hicks
As a 21-year-old Cardinals rookie, Hicks unleashed a 105 mph sinker that stunned scouts and made him an instant velocity celebrity. Injuries have since slowed his workload, but that single pitch cemented his place among the hardest throwers ever tracked.
Top Recorded Speed: 105 mphYear Recorded: 2018Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: St. Louis Cardinals
added by IJR
0Tigers reliever Zumaya terrorized hitters in the 2006 playoffs with a fastball that touched 104.8 mph, one of the most electric arms of his generation. Wrist and shoulder injuries cut his career tragically short, leaving fans to wonder how much higher he could have climbed.
Top Recorded Speed: 104.8 mphYear Recorded: 2006Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: Detroit Tigers
added by IJRJoel Zumaya
0Before he became a dominant closer, Jenks was a hard-throwing prospect whose fastball reportedly touched 104 mph in the minors and low triple digits in the majors. He parlayed that arm into a World Series-winning bullpen role with the White Sox.
Top Recorded Speed: 104 mphYear Recorded: 2010Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: Chicago White Sox
added by IJRBobby Jenks
0Braves closer Wohlers was among the first pitchers to consistently light up radar guns at 100+ mph in the early '90s, with reported readings as high as 103 mph. He was a bridge figure between the old-school 'hard thrower' era and today's radar-obsessed velocity culture.
Top Recorded Speed: 103 mphYear Recorded: 1995Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: Atlanta Braves
added by IJRMark Wohlers
0Cole has topped 102.9 mph on Statcast while also carrying a Cy Young pedigree, proving elite velocity and command aren't mutually exclusive. He's arguably the best pitcher of his generation who also happens to throw among the hardest.
Top Recorded Speed: 102.9 mphYear Recorded: 2021Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: New York Yankees
added by IJRin 2 rankingsGerrit Cole
0Nicknamed 'Thor' for good reason, Syndergaard's fastball hit 102.7 mph while he also threw one of the hardest sliders in history, a rare combination of size and speed. His peak years made him one of the most feared arms in baseball before injuries derailed him.
Top Recorded Speed: 102.7 mphYear Recorded: 2016Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: New York Mets
added by IJRNoah Syndergaard
0Randy Johnson
The 6'10" 'Big Unit' terrorized left-handed hitters with a fastball that reportedly reached 102 mph well into his late 30s, an almost unheard-of combination of size, longevity, and pure heat. He remains proof that velocity and Hall of Fame command can coexist.
Top Recorded Speed: 102 mphYear Recorded: 2004Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
added by IJRin 5 rankings
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deGrom redefined what a modern ace could look like, sitting in the upper 90s and touching 102.2 mph deep into starts, a workload most relievers can't match in short bursts. His combination of dominance and velocity made him the most feared starter of his era when healthy.
Top Recorded Speed: 102.2 mphYear Recorded: 2021Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: New York Mets
added by IJRJacob deGrom
0The Royals' fiery right-hander regularly hit 102 mph during Kansas City's 2014-15 championship runs, embodying a swagger that matched his arm. His career and life were cut tragically short in a 2017 car accident, freezing his legacy at electrifying but unfinished.
Top Recorded Speed: 102.4 mphYear Recorded: 2016Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: Kansas City Royals
added by IJRYordano Ventura
0Verlander shocked baseball by touching 102.4 mph in the ninth inning of starts, often throwing harder late in games than early, a signature quirk of his legendary durability. Decades into his career, he remains a testament to sustained top-end velocity.
Top Recorded Speed: 102.4 mphYear Recorded: 2010Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: Detroit Tigers
added by IJRin 2 rankingsJustin Verlander
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Eovaldi has quietly been one of the hardest-throwing starters of the Statcast era, hitting 102.2 mph while working deep into postseason games for the Red Sox. His blend of raw velocity and clutch October performances built his reputation as an underrated flamethrower.
Top Recorded Speed: 102.2 mphYear Recorded: 2018Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: Boston Red Sox
added by IJRNathan Eovaldi
0
Standing just 5'10", Wagner defied his frame by touching 100.9 mph as a lefty closer, one of the hardest-throwing southpaws in history. His combination of size and speed made him a Hall of Fame case built almost entirely on pure stuff.
Top Recorded Speed: 100.9 mphYear Recorded: 2003Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: ✓Signature Team: Houston Astros
added by IJRin 2 rankingsBilly Wagner
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In 1974, a special Rockwell radar clocked Ryan at 100.9 mph, a number many believe understated his true peak given the primitive equipment of the era. Ryan's legend as the archetypal power pitcher, with seven no-hitters and a record 5,714 strikeouts, still anchors every velocity
Top Recorded Speed: 100.9 mphYear Recorded: 1974Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: —Signature Team: California Angels
added by IJRin 6 rankingsNolan Ryan
0A minor-league legend who never made the majors, Dalkowski is whispered about as possibly the hardest thrower ever, with unofficial estimates ranging from 105 to a mythical 110 mph. Wildness and injuries kept him out of the big leagues, but scouts and teammates who saw him still
Top Recorded Speed: 105 mphYear Recorded: 1958Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: —Signature Team: Baltimore Orioles (minors)
added by IJRSteve Dalkowski
0In a 1946 publicity stunt, Feller's fastball was measured against a speeding motorcycle at roughly 98.6 mph, a jaw-dropping number for the era's crude technology. 'Rapid Robert' was the original велocity folk hero, and many historians believe his true peak exceeded 100 mph.
Top Recorded Speed: 98.6 mphYear Recorded: 1946Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: —Signature Team: Cleveland Indians
added by IJRin 2 rankingsBob Feller
0Walter Johnson
Long before radar guns existed, 'The Big Train' was universally regarded by hitters and writers of his era as the fastest pitcher alive, racking up 3,509 strikeouts in a dead-ball league. Historical estimates place his fastball in the mid-to-high 90s, extraordinary for the 1910s.
Top Recorded Speed: 95 mphYear Recorded: 1917Modern Radar/Statcast Verified: —Signature Team: Washington Senators
added by IJRin 4 rankings
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