Tennessee pitcher Ben Joyce might as well be called “The Human Torch.”
Joyce, a redshirt junior for the Volunteers, went viral this week for touching a fiery 104 miles per hour on a strikeout. To close out a 10-0 win over South Carolina, Joyce went 102, 103, 104, and 102 on the radar gun to punch out Gamecocks shortstop Jalen Vasquez. Joyce also mixed in a 91 mph changeup for good measure. Check out the video.
Facing Ben Joyce…an At Bat from Hell. 🔥
102mph, 103mph & 104mph Fastballs.
91mph Changeup.
102mph Fastball (for the K). pic.twitter.com/PCtnTEtU5G— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 20, 2022
Only a select few pitchers can even hit that velocity at the MLB level. Since Statcast began recording pitch speeds in 2008, only five pitchers (Aroldis Chapman, Jordan Hicks, Neftali Feliz, Mauricio Cabrera, and Tayron Guerrero) have ever thrown a pitch 104 mph or faster in the majors.
As for the right-hander Joyce, he has made nine appearances for Tennessee this season and has yet to give up a run, striking out ten batters in 6.2 total innings pitched in relief. At just 21 years old, Joyce is quickly introducing himself to the baseball world and has to be the hardest-throwing prospect that we have seen since this guy.
H/T MLB.com
