 | CONNELL GRANGE SUPPLY WHERE THE CUSTOMER IS STILL THE COMPANY |
|
Printable Page
10/26 05:00 CDT Velocity rules in October when adrenaline, pressure, crowds
push players to throw their hardest
Velocity rules in October when adrenaline, pressure, crowds push players to
throw their hardest
By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
TORONTO (AP) --- Velocity rules in October.
There have been a record 255 pitches of 100 mph or faster this postseason, up
from 105 last year and the previous high of 169 in 2022.
Right-handed relievers averaged 96.2 mph with their four-seam fastballs through
the World Series opener, an increase from 95.8 mph last postseason and 93.3 mph
when Major League Baseball started tracking in 2008.
"That's crazy. That's insane," Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott said.
"You see kids in college throwing 100 (mph) and a couple of years ago they were
throwing what, 94, 95?"
Pitchers averaged a record 94.5 mph with four-seam fastballs during the 2025
regular season, a speedup from 91.9 mph in 2008. Among righties, this year's
average was 95 mph, including 95.6 mph by relievers.
Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman is averaging 96.4 mph with his four-seamer in
October, up from 95.6 mph during the season.
"A lot of it is adrenaline and knowing that this is it. You've got to empty
your tank every single night," he said. "Velocity is king. I know there are a
lot of kind of conflicting opinions on that, but it's harder to hit faster
pitches, so it's important to have your best stuff."
While pitches are getting faster, offspeed use is increasing. Pitchers have
thrown four-seamers 32.8% of the time during the postseason, down from a high
of 40.9% in 2014. Overall use includes 17.2% sliders, 15.2% two-seamers, 9%
curveballs, 8% changeups, 6.5% splitters, 5.9% cutters, 4.6% sweepers and 0.7%
slurves.
A study released by MLB last offseason concluded rising velocities, pitch
shaping and emphasis on maximum effort are the likely causes of the vast
increase in pitcher injuries.
MLB decided last month to prohibit scouting of many high school prospects for
three months during the offseason and of college prospects for two months in an
effort to mandate recovery time.
"Starting at the bottom is the best way," Commissioner Rob Manfred said
Saturday. "That's part of a larger program that we're going to continue to roll
out in an effort to address this issue."
Dodgers pitchers have averaged 96.2 mph with four-seamers in the postseason, up
from 94.7 mph during the regular season, and Blue Jays pitchers 95.1 mph, an
increase from 94 mph. Among righty relievers, Los Angeles is averaging 97.6 mph
in October and Toronto 96.8 mph.
"These are the most significant pitches that anybody's thrown all year,"
Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior said. "A lot of it just happens to do with
the pressure of these situations, and I think you see it across baseball in the
playoffs. Everybody's stuff ticks up, for the most part. It seems like their
stuff is at a different level."
Milwaukee rookie Jacob Misiorowski reached 100 mph with 58 pitches --- more
than the entire postseason total as recently as 2018. He was followed by
Cincinnati's Hunter Greene (28), Philadelphia's Jhoan Duran (25), the Chicago
Cubs' Daniel Palencia (23) and Detroit's Tarik Skubal (22).
San Diego's Mason Miller threw a 104.5 mph called third strike to the Chicago
Cubs' Seiya Suzuki in Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series, the fastest
postseason pitch in the Statcast era.
Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen said particular playoff environments can lead to
faster pitches.
"When you go to places like the Padres last year, you just feel the hate, so
you're trying to counter with an ability to keep quiet," he said. "The more you
get deeper into the playoffs, the more you are just competing with --- it's
energy. At this point in the World Series you are trying to empty the tank."
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
