How Fast Is Fast Baseball Pitch?

Aroldis Chapman holds the MLB record at 169 km/h — the fastest baseball pitch ever officially recorded. The ball reaches home plate in 0.4 seconds, faster than human reaction time. Hitters react to muscle cues in the pitcher's body, not to the ball itself.

A pitcher throws around 100 fastballs per game and 30+ games per season — leading to chronic elbow injuries that often require career-ending surgery.

• Faster than a cheetah sprinting
• Reaches home plate in 0.4 seconds