In their prime…fastest pitch
Pedro Martinez 5’11” - 100 mph
Tom Seaver 6’1” - 98 mph
Tim Lincecum 5’11 - 101 mph
Bob Feller 6’0” - using updated measuring methods is reported to have thrown 104 mph
Billy Wagner 5’10” threw 159 pitches that hit 100 mph in 2002. There are MANY 6’3-6’5” guys who played MLB and never touched that.
EVERY MLB scout will tell you velocity comes from a strong base and core as well as well conditioned chest and shoulders. Even Dr James Andrews routinely talks about how the arm and wrist (especially the elbow) has more to do with control of the velocity rather than generating it.
Stephen Strasburg 6’5” cane out of HS 30 lbs overweight when he joined the SDSU baseball team
(Coached by Tony Gwynn). It’s well known he was so out of shape at SDSU they nicknamed him “Slothburg” and he would throw up during and after drills. His FB topped out at 90 in HS but after his freshman year and struggling through conditioning drills he lost the weight and got stronger (especially the legs Strasburg said) and his FB climbed to 100 mph.
Look at the difference between his senior year…
Notice how much heavier his lower half is.
And his junior year at SDSU… notice how more muscular his lower half is as well as less fat around his mid section.
