Los Angeles Angels’ fastball monster rookie Ben Joyce (23) finally took off his veil.
Joyce made his big league debut on the 30th (Korean time) in a match against the Chicago White Sox in the ‘2023 Major League Baseball’ held at Guaranty Drate Field in Illinois, USA. He took the mound in the bottom of the 7th inning with a 4-3 lead and made his first big league hold with a good pitch with 1 inning, 1 hit, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts and no runs. The Angels broke a three-game losing streak with a 6-4 win.
It was a pitch worthy of a promising fastball. Joyce threw 12 balls that day, choosing 11 sinkers and 1 cutter. The highest speed of the sinker, a modified fastball, reached 102.2 miles (about 164.5 km), and even the slowest ball was shot at 100.2 miles (about 161 km).
Joyce began pitching confidently, throwing a sinker at 102 mph, the first pitch to lead batter Andrew Bourne. The sinker on the second pitch also took a strike with a 100.3 mile, and took advantage with a ball count of 0-2. Then he chose the third pitch cutter (89.3 miles), which led to a left-handed hit.
After sending out the lead batter, only sinkers that exceeded 100 miles were thrown. Joyce continued to hold Vaughn on first base as he struck out Gavin Sheets and Romy Gonzalez on back-to-back swings. The two batters couldn’t respond to Joyce’s fast ball at all and either cut through the air with their bats or just watched.
In the ensuing 2nd out 1st base, the White Sox pulled out a pinch hitter Yasmani Grandal card. The White Sox tried to tie the score at least by attacking Joyce, but Grandal hit Joyce’s first pitch and went away with a fly ball to left field. The ball Joyce threw to Grandal was the fastest ball of the day with a 102.2 mph sinker.
After watching Joyce’s debut match, MLB.com, the major league homepage, commented, “The ninth-ranked prospect (Joyce) in the Angels team ran the game as if he were a 10-year veteran.”
Joyce is famous for throwing the fastest ball in American college baseball history. While at the University of Tennessee, he threw a 105.5 mph (about 170 km) light-speed ball, setting a new record for the highest velocity in American college baseball. The Angels didn’t miss the rookie, the fastball monster, and selected it in the third round of the 2022 draft. He has durability concerns, such as undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020, but one talent is certain.스포츠토토
Joyce was poised to beat his personal best again, clocking 102.2 mph on his debut. When asked if he would be able to surpass his personal best speed in the major leagues at the time of this year’s spring camp, Joyce said, “I’m in good shape, and I often exceeded 100 miles per hour (about 160 km) in live pitching recently. So I think I can exceed 170 km.” I think I can throw more than that,” he showed confidence.
Can Joyce, who made his successful debut, grow into the core of the Angels’ bullpen and open the era of the 170km light-speed ball?