From the early 20th century’s crafty aces to today’s fireballers lighting up radar guns from Omaha to Canton, the evolution of pitching speed in Major League Baseball tells a fascinating story.
Baseball is a game rooted in tradition. Long afternoons in the sun punctuated with the excitement of big hits and diving grabs. Pitchers, catchers, fielders and batters, hot dogs and someone's over-served uncle. Tradition.
While we all find ourselves drawn to the big hitters, the gold glovers, the speedsters from bag to bag, there's one position that consistently provides some of the most enigmatic players in all of sports. The knuckleballers, the stoics, the high-kickers. That's right sports fans, you guessed it, I'm talking about pitchers.
From the early 20th century’s crafty aces to today’s fireballers lighting up radar guns from Omaha to Canton, the evolution of pitching speed in Major League Baseball tells a fascinating story. With advancements in training, technology, and biomechanics, pitchers today are throwing harder than ever before. But how did we get here?
Let’s rewind the tape.
The Early Days: Finesse Over Fire
Back in the Deadball Era (roughly 1900–1919), pitchers relied more on deception, spin, and control than the raw speed we see today. Think Cy Young and Christy Mathewson—legends of their time, but not exactly lighting up the gun. And to be fair, there was no gun.
Radar technology didn’t even exist until the mid-20th century, so estimates on early fastball velocities are educated guesses. Some historians suggest that Walter Johnson—the flamethrower of the era—may have touched 93–95 mph, which is remarkable for his time. A 1917 test using a primitive setup with racing timers clocked him at 83 mph, though that was measured after the pitch had already traveled a good distance, smacking into a steel plate at the end of a tunnel made of copper wires.
The Rise of the Radar Gun
Radar guns began their meteoric rise in the game of baseball in the 1970s, giving us our first real-time insights into pitching velocity.
Enter Nolan Ryan. The man, the myth, the absolute computer-built righty out of Refugio, Texas. In 1974, the U.S. Army used a Doppler radar system to clock Ryan at 100.9 mph—and that was measured 10 feet in front of home plate, meaning the ball likely hit closer to 108 mph out of his hand.
Other legendary names from the pre-Statcast era include:
- Bob Feller - Estimated to hit 100 mph in the 1940s using military-grade testing.
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Goose Gossage - Touched 100 mph out of the bullpen in the late '70s.
- Dwight Gooden - Regularly threw in the high 90s during his 1980s dominance.
Training back then? A mix of long toss, weighted balls (occasionally), and “tough it out” grit. It wasn’t until the late ‘90s and 2000s that sports science began to shape pitching development.
The Modern Era: Speed Rules
Fast forward to today, and the fastball isn’t just a pitch—it’s a weapon of mass deception.
Thanks to high-speed video, biomechanics labs, and personalized pitch design, today’s pitchers are trained for velocity from youth levels up.
Consider this:
- Aroldis Chapman set the MLB record in 2010 with a 105.1 mph fastball.
- Jordan Hicks of the Cardinals has touched 105 mph on multiple occasions.
- Jacob deGrom, not a reliever but a starter, regularly hits 99–101 mph into the eighth inning.
In 2008, the average MLB fastball was around 90.9 mph. In 2023, that average reached 93.9 mph, and it continues to rise.
Training methods now include:
- Biomechanical analysis using motion capture
- Weighted ball velocity programs (like Driveline)
- High-speed cameras and wearable sensors
- Radar devices for instant feedback (which brings us to... 👇)
A Radar Revolution: Technology like TAG One is Here to Change the Game
Imagine Satchel Paige stepping off the mound in the 1940s, looking down at his smart watch and smirking, knowing he just hit 97 while making someone look silly at the plate. Or Bob Gibson in 1968, huffing through a grin after seeing his heater flash 99 on a tiny screen, followed by a recap of his entire inning's pitches from placement to pitch outcome.
Today, players from Little League to the majors can carry radar tech in their bag, their pocket, or even on their wrist with app integrations like with the TAG One.
Whether you’re tracking fastball progress, measuring exit velocity, or just flexing on your teammates, it’s the kind of tech that’s democratized data for every level of the game.
The Takeaway
The story of pitching velocity is one of innovation, determination, and technology. While the greats of yesteryear didn’t have radar guns or biomechanics labs, they laid the foundation for today’s flamethrowers.
And who knows—maybe the next Nolan Ryan is out there right now, clocking 85 mph in a high school bullpen, dreaming of hitting triple digits.
Because no matter the era, speed thrills.
Ready to track your own heat?
[Explore TAG One →]