105.5 mph!! Joyce records fastest strikeout ever tracked

ANAHEIM -- Flamethrowing reliever Ben Joyce was extra amped up in front of a sold-out crowd against the rival Dodgers on Sept. 3, and it showed in a big way.

Joyce fired a 105.5 mph fastball to strike out Tommy Edman to end the top of the ninth of the Angels' 6-2, 10-inning loss, which was the fastest pitch thrown by any player this season and the third-fastest since pitch tracking began in 2008. Only lefty Aroldis Chapman has thrown harder pitches, reaching 105.8 mph in 2010 and 105.7 mph in ’16 -- but Joyce’s was the fastest pitch thrown on a strikeout.

“I looked up right after and saw it,” Joyce said. “It was just a big-time game and all the fans were into it. So I feel like that helped a little bit. It was two strikes, so I kind of just tried to give everything I had.”

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It was yet another incredible display of velocity for Joyce, who has developed into an elite reliever as a rookie and is serving as the club’s closer after they traded Carlos Estévez at the Trade Deadline. His previous high for a fastball was 104.8 mph (done twice this season), and his four-seamer has averaged 102.1 mph this season.

“He needed every part of it to get through those guys,” manager Ron Washington said. “That's a juggernaut over there. But Ben has been doing that ever since he got here. So it's nice to see that he was able to come in and shut that down in the ninth and give us a chance to get out there and win it. But it just didn't happen.”

The 23-year-old saw his velocity on the scoreboard after the strikeout and couldn’t help but smile on his way back to the dugout. It came in his last appearance of the year and he finished his rookie season with a 2.08 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings, while also developing a sinker that has made him even more difficult to hit.

“I think 105, any harder than that, good luck to anyone in that ball’s direction,” said catcher Logan O’Hoppe. “It’s pretty cool but is also a testament of the work he puts in and the kind of human he is, too.”

Joyce, who also topped out at 105.5 mph while at the University of Tennessee, said he believes there’s still some extra velocity he can unlock.

“I would like to think so,” Joyce said. “I guess we’ll find out.”