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Fastest Fastball Velocity in MLB 2023
Source MLB StatcastSeason 2023 (archive)501 qualified pitchers
Jhoan Duran led MLB in fastball velocity in 2023 at 101.8 mph. The top three were Jhoan Duran, Ben Joyce, Justin Martinez, from Statcast data.
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Face Duran's heat
Jhoan Duran led 2023. Play a half-inning in our Statcast-driven sim with today's leaders: the same kind of numbers drive every card's rating.
What fastball velocity measures
Average fastball velocity is the mean speed of a pitcher's four-seam fastball across all outings (sinkers, cutters and other fastball types are not included). Statcast captures each pitch off the TrackMan/Hawk-Eye radar in every MLB park, so the numbers are precise to a tenth of a mph. Elite relievers routinely sit 98+ mph; starters maintaining 96+ over a full outing are the rarest breed in the game. Pitchers need at least 100 four-seam fastballs thrown in the season (MLB's pitch-arsenal minimum).
Why fastball velocity matters
Fastball velocity is the single strongest predictor of strikeout rate at the pitcher level, and velocity gains year-over-year almost always translate to performance gains. This leaderboard surfaces the arms that overwhelm hitters with pure stuff — the bullpen weapons and front-line starters whose margin for error is widest.
This archive captures the 2023 season as it ended; for the live, nightly-updated leaderboard see Fastest Fastball Velocity in MLB.
Questions
Who led MLB in fastball velocity in 2023?
Jhoan Duran led MLB in fastball velocity in 2023 at 101.8 mph. The top three were Jhoan Duran, Ben Joyce, Justin Martinez, based on Statcast data.
What is fastball velocity in baseball?
Average fastball velocity is the mean speed of a pitcher's four-seam fastball across all outings (sinkers, cutters and other fastball types are not included). Statcast captures each pitch off the TrackMan/Hawk-Eye radar in every MLB park, so the numbers are precise to a tenth of a mph. Elite relievers routinely sit 98+ mph; starters maintaining 96+ over a full outing are the rarest breed in the game. Pitchers need at least 100 four-seam fastballs thrown in the season (MLB's pitch-arsenal minimum).