Speed of Baseball Pitches

Pitchers use the fastball as the base for their pitching repertoire. With the exception of knuckleball pitchers, the velocity of that fastball is an important factor in how effectively a pitcher will throw the ball from the mound. Many effective pitchers can find a way to overcome a lack of velocity if they don't have an overpowering fastball, but hard throwers have a clear advantage.

Fastball

An effective Major League fastball will be thrown at speeds over 90 mph. A very good fastball will exceed the 95 mph mark. A handful of pitchers have eclipsed the 100 mph mark in game competition. Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds threw a 105.1 mph fastball Sept. 24, 2010, according to Baseball Almanac. That's the fastest recorded pitch in major league history through the 2010 season.

Slider

Many pitchers use the slider as their "out" pitch when a batter gets two strikes. The slider will have many of the same attributes of a fastball as it leaves the pitcher's hand. It is thrown very hard, but just before it reaches the plate it will break either down and to the side without losing much of its pace. The hardest throwers have sliders that can reach more than 90 mph. Former major league pitcher Randy Johnson had one of the best sliders in baseball history. His fastball would regularly reach speeds of 95 to 100 mph and his slider was in the 92 to 94 mph range.

Curveball

The curveball is a significantly slower pitch than the fastball or slider. This is intentional. Not only will the ball curve or break dramatically as it travels to home plate, the slower speed of the curveball makes it more difficult for the batter to hit. If the hitter is concerned about a hard fastball, he must gear up his swing to get ready for a hard pitch. However, instead of getting a 92 mph fastball, he gets an 85 mph curveball that breaks from the batter's chin to his knees. Many pitchers struggle to throw effective curveballs, but a pitcher who combines a hard fastball with a slower curveball can be very effective. Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven is considered to have had one of the best curveballs in baseball history.

Changeup

The changeup is an effective pitch, especially when thrown by a pitcher with a hard fastball. By placing the ball deeper in the hand, a pitcher can throw a pitch that has significantly less velocity than one that is thrown from the fingertips. The changeup may come in at 78 to 82 mph. The pitch also will have a downward trajectory to it that makes the batter feel like he's going to smash this slow pitch but that dives out of the strike zone at the last moment. Pedro Martinez had an array of great pitches while at the peak of his career with the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox. His changeup was considered to be one of the best in baseball history.