The Angels recently called up 22-year-old fireballer Jordan Walden, and he has impressed in his short time. Through all of three games, he has averaged 98.9 MPH on his fastball (per Fangraphs), so he’s throwing some serious heat. In tonight’s game in Seattle, Walden booked another scoreless frame, and in the process threw five pitches at 100 MPH, and seven more at 99.
↵However, that seems so ordinary now, thanks to Cuban sensation Aroldis Chapman, who made his major league debut Tuesday night, and threw another inning tonight for the Reds, and he hit 104 on the gun…twice! He also hit 102 four times.
↵I remember reading the Guinness Book of World Records as a kid — what can I say? I lived a sheltered life as a child — and for years Nolan Ryan’s 100.9 MPH was the number to shoot for. It seemed unreal, like something out of a novel.
↵Now? With Chapman lighting up radar guns everywhere, the exploits of Walden’s golden arm will fly under the radar. Albeit at very high speeds.