Striker Pence seems to be getting even stronger, and the young star pitcher still has a lot of high school left.
Pence, the nephew of former MLB All-Star Hunter Pence, is entering his sophomore season at Santiago High School in Corona, Calif. He is ranked as one of the top prospects in the 2028 recruiting class, and anyone who has watched him throw understands why.
The 16-year-old Pence turned heads earlier this year when his fastball was clocked at 97 mph. It appears Pence is throwing even harder now.
Pence pitched on Thursday in the Area Code Baseball Games, which is a six-day showcase of top players from around the country that is held in Long Beach, Calif. The sophomore regularly hit 100 mph on the radar gun with his fastball.
‘28 Stryker Pence (CA)
— Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) August 8, 2025
FB: 🔥9️⃣9️⃣-1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣🔥
SL: 83-85 (2600+ 🔨🔨)
CH: 88 (866)
Wow 😳.
Not just the mega arm strength but the full arsenal. ELITE stuff that still holds some (scary) upside.
Silenced the park. 🤫#MLBDraft || @PrepBaseballCA pic.twitter.com/b1A9FTTIJW
Some who were in attendance said Pence topped out at 99 mph, which is still plenty impressive.
😳 Hello! Some early morning heat to start off Underclass @ACBaseballGames.
— Jeffrey Kahn (@jkahn_5) August 2, 2025
‘28 Striker Pence (@Strikerpence8) tops 9️⃣9️⃣ MPH in his start at Long Beach. Slo-mo side angle look here. Was 95-99 MPH in the first, but dipped to 93-95 MPH in the second. Worked in a slider at 79-83… pic.twitter.com/HcCYvQZdsm
Pence reminds some people of Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes. The fact that Pence is only a sophomore in high school and is already hitting 100 mph on the radar gun is insane. He also seems to have good control and a full arsenal of pitches.
The sky is the limit for Pence if he can remain healthy and continue to develop.
