Current Fastest Pitch Record
The official world record for the fastest baseball pitch is 105.8 mph (170.3 km/h), set by Aroldis Chapman on September 24, 2010, while pitching for the Cincinnati Reds against the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park. The measurement was recorded by Statcast radar and later confirmed by MLB officials, making it the benchmark for pitch speed records in professional baseball.
MLB tracks pitch speed using TrackMan and Statcast radar systems that measure velocity at the release point and as the ball crosses home plate. The fastest pitch in recorded professional baseball history is Aroldis Chapman's 105.8 mph fastball, which remains the standard reference for maximum velocity in the sport.
Who Holds the Fastest Pitch Record
Aroldis Chapman's Record-Setting Performance
Aroldis Chapman threw the record 105.8 mph fastball during his third season in MLB while playing for the Cincinnati Reds. The pitch was recorded in the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres and was measured by MLB's Statcast tracking system, which uses high-resolution radar to capture velocity data at the point of release and at home plate.
Chapman's record has been verified by MLB and remains the fastest pitch ever officially recorded in a professional game. The velocity was measured at the release point and confirmed across multiple tracking systems, including data shared with teams and broadcasters through MLB's Statcast platform.
MLB Pitch Speed Measurement Standards
MLB uses TrackMan and Statcast radar systems to measure pitch speed with high precision, capturing velocity at the pitcher's release point and as the ball crosses home plate. These systems are deployed in every MLB stadium and provide consistent, standardized data for pitch speed records and player performance analysis.
Fastest Pitches in MLB History
Top Velocity Leaders in MLB
Since Chapman's record, other pitchers have posted elite velocities close to the 105 mph range, including pitchers such as Jordan Hicks, who has been clocked at speeds above 105 mph in multiple games using Statcast data. These high-velocity arms are tracked by MLB and showcased in real time during broadcasts and on MLB's official Statcast leaderboards.
MLB's Statcast platform publishes pitch speed leaderboards that rank pitchers by maximum velocity, average velocity, and fastball usage. The data is updated each season and includes every recorded pitch from regular-season and postseason games, providing a comprehensive view of velocity trends across the league.
How Pitch Speed Is Measured and Verified
Pitch speed is measured using radar-based tracking systems such as TrackMan and Statcast, which capture data at thousands of frames per second. MLB uses this data to verify records, analyze player performance, and provide real-time velocity metrics to teams, broadcasters, and fans through official MLB platforms and partner sites.