Watch: Ben Joyce throws 102.2 mph for first pitch in big leagues
Ben Joyce made his Major League Baseball debut Monday like only he could — with a 102.2 mile per hour strike. Joyce pitched one scoreless inning for the Los Angeles Angles in a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox.
The former Tennessee bullpen flamethrower, who was called up Saturday night ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the Angels’ system, threw 12 pitches Monday night at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. Eleven of the 12 pitchers were no less than 100.2 mph, with an 89.3 mph cutter being the lone exception.
“It felt awesome,” Joyce told reporters after the game. “I felt very comfortable — a lot more comfortable than I thought I’d feel. Just went out and trusted my stuff and threw strikes, and it worked out. It was an amazing feeling.”
Ben Joyce’s 1st MLB Pitch pic.twitter.com/i7TELyvhIO
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 30, 2023
Joyce allowed one hit and struck out two in his inning of work.
“Very cool, calm and collected,” Angels catcher Matt Thaiss said of Joyce. “First big league outing. If you’re a position player, you’re kind of hidden in nine people. When you’re a pitcher, it’s all eyes on you, and you’ve got the ball.”
A year ago, to the day, Joyce was pitching for Tennessee in the SEC Tournament championship game, an 8-5 win over Florida at the Hoover Met.
“Now I’m in the big leagues,” Joyce said. “It’s pretty crazy to think about for sure.”
Before getting called up Saturday night, Joyce made 27 Minor League Baseball appearances with the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Double-A affiliate of the Angels. Joyce had a 3.45 ERA with 44 strikeouts against 17 walks over 28.2 innings pitched in Double-A. He had given up 16 runs — 11 earned — on 18 hits during his Minor League career.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-hander has a grade of 80 on his fastball according to MLB.com. MLB players and prospects are graded on a 20-80 scale, with 80 being considered elite.
Joyce was 89th pick in 2022 MLB Draft, selected in Third Round
Joyce was the No. 89 overall pick in last summer’s MLB Draft, one of a record-setting 10 Tennessee players selected.
He appeared in 27 games at Tennessee during the 2022 season, starring with 53 strikeouts and a 2.23 ERA over 32.1 innings pitched. He averaged 14.8 strikeouts per nine innings and gave up 10 runs — eight earned — on 18 hits over the course of the season.
Joyce sat out as a redshirt at Tennessee during the 2021 season, after transferring from Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn. He had a 3-1 record with a 4.79 ERA at Walters State during the 2020 season, striking out 35 batters in 20.2 innings pitched.
He was the No. 81 overall player in the state of Tennessee as a prospect, according to Perfect Game, out of Knoxville’s Farragut High School, throwing 100 miles per hour during his prep career.
