Can an Average Guy Hit a 95 MPH Fastball? | Above Average Joe | GQ Sports 

Only a few humans have ever actually accomplished throwing 105 that's so rare

@@jarryd8167 yeah but 100 isnt

When I played baseball my obp was almost 1000, but my batting average was probably just better than .010. I played little league and am a lefty. I got hit more than I hit the ball. I was legit bad but I even got intentionally walked a few times.

@@g.schmitz2367 well its still uncommon 95+ is usually considered fast in the big leagues

If they threw a 105 mph fastball there change up wouldn't be 80 mph

Jesus Saves Love God✝️

Take it with a few grains of salt, though... Right brain, left brain has been debunked for anything beyond right controls left and vice versa, not that nonsense about thinking in one side of the brain or the other 🙄 like, Jesus Christ, indeed, but for allll the wrong reasons

Same

Agreed, half way through I was like, "this is pretty good for GQ Sports"

@@ignoranceisbliss27 what

Preach brother preach

Ur not in the hall of fame with just a 300 batting average loo

@@Jake0666 it’s not just about how often you get a hit because you can get lucky and hit the ball weakly and get a hit here and there. The best of the best are able to not only hit the ball consistently but hard as well.

big facts. although not only is it waaaaay harder than most think its probably the hardest part of any sport to do

@@Jake0666 if you play for 15 years and average a 300 average your up there

You are absolutely right Marissa! Right as rain. LOVE OF THE GAME. 🇺🇸

Hey Brian. I remember when my baseball dream ended. HS. Road game. First pitch, when I finished my slide step, the mitt popped. Never saw the ball. Quick strike out. Next time up, just started swinging on the release. Had the timing down but never saw the ball. In total, this was years ago and I still remember. We had one infield pop up, two infield dribblers, the rest strike outs. And our team had some good hitters, too. We had set a state record at the time, most runs in an inning, most batters in an inning, most runs in a game. Same season. But that day? We were no hit, and only three outs were NOT strike outs. I remember the coach saying, when asked how fast the kid was throwing "some where in the 90's" and I remember thinking, I ain't going to make it to college ball. lol. Thanks for sharing mate. Have a good summer.

Same thing happened to me except i stopped playing at age 15, I had a batting cage in my back yard. During little league tryouts for the all star team the coach decided to pitch as fast as he could at the short distance to end the day. One by one the kids swung and missed every pitch, I got up there and had to start my swing before the ball left his hand, and I hit every pitch he threw. The whole park stopped to watch me. Unfortunately I was not aloud to play on Sundays so I didn't make the team. The next couple of years I hit well but quit as I got older. At age 18, I was travelling to a bowling tournament when we stopped off at an amusement park. My buddy on my team played fast pitch and wanted to try the baseball pitching machine, I laughed inside thinking "really? a bowling softball player trying a 90 mile an hour pitch?" He had been to the worlds in bowling and was too young to be a professional. Anyways, he steps up to the plate and rips it up! Hit after hit, he was making some solid connection. My turn comes up and I stroll up to the plate as confidant as a Barry Bonds on all the steroids... I take my first swing, and miss. Second swing, miss. First basket of balls, nothing. I pay for another round and still miss every single pitch. I walk off feeling dejected because I got beat by a bowler and one of the parents there asked if I had played baseball before, I looked at him and said "I thought I had" and walked away. I thought hitting was like riding a bike, apparently not haha.

just try to avoid the ball if you can... oh my god I can't imagine

@@rienn8559 you have to catch it

Ik scary thought

Some of the hardest hits I've seen went down 3rd. The usual reply to those are -i have no idea how I caught that I was just trying not to die.

Years of baseball prepare them for it. Its just muscle memory and reaction at that point

yeah the only instruction i recieved was to not drop my shoulder

“Just keep your eye on the ball!”

Still how I do it lol

thats how most peaple learn the place he was using was a state of the art facility

That's why families that make more money tend to have kids that van be a little better at sports. I didn't have the luxury of having parents to take me to muscle activation training and pitching camps that costed 1000s of dollars. I'm right there with ya. I long tossed and kept my eye on the ball lmao

He's also insanely good at providing direct real time feedback that can be immediately applied and understood.

Just imagine how much he charges per hour training though 😂

Watch, Jake Paul will hire this guy to train him to hit and then call out all of the worst hitters in the MLB...👏🤣

"focus on output, not outcome" is a huge life lesson for anyone who wants to really, actually accomplsh their dreams.

It resonated with me as a poker player. The result of the hand isn't what you should be proud or upset about, but rather the thought process, the application of sound fundamentals, and the knowledge that you're making the right plays that will produce net gains in the long run.

Oh yeah.

It's real bad.

That was the thing that leaped (you'll excuse the pun) out at me too. Such "happy feet". You have to be calm and composed up there to have any chance. I've never seen a professional player at any level do that kind of hardball mambo.

This isn't to put him down at all. I was impressed by how well he did. It just seems such an obvious coaching point.

i'm assuming theres some hand eye coordination issues also.. those don't get fixed overnight..

Bro same

Same I was so confused

Same

Lmao yes I’m still confused hahaha

This video must've been old spice sponsored. The duffle bag had the old spice logo, and he was using old spice deoderant.

I never had a machine throw all strikes.

MLB pitchers can't hit the zone with sliders alla sudden?

Does it all depend on where the threads are postitioned when the machine wheels makes contact?

Yep. Those spinning wheels don't do it on purpose but they can grab the laces in any number of ways. The affect on the ball is nothing like a good pitcher but it will still cause the spin on the ball to vary.

Mmmm sliders

I was thinking the same thing!! Lol 😂

Dude his feet and finish swing were so bad in the beginning every time he was off balance after swinging and his feet dancing all over I died a little.

@@bridgelaurie9490 I don’t play football and watching his little leg motion before the swing made me want to die

Everything except for that left foot 😬

@@pathurd9595 same

hard to break bad habits in a short amount of time even with coaching

He certainly did, went right back to being a "gate". Focused more on trying to hit the ball and not on the swing.

Well moron good for happy Gilloh my god.

R/whoosh

ITS BUDDY BROWN!!!!!

A Person who are you whooshing

Noice

When I was younger, stronger and faster, I still couldn’t hit a 95 mile per hour fastball, thrown by the machine, when I was at the batting cages! It was already past me before I could even react!! 🙄🤷🏻‍♂️

When I was 15 I played in a league where age ranged 15-18 year olds and I backed out of a curve ball. Never saw pitching like that lol

I was terrified of facing other kids pitching, because I was kind of scared of getting hit. Still stuck it out, though.

he said the machine pitched after coach pitch. when i was 7 we still had coach pitch for one last year

I should’ve never dropped baseball. I’m in 9th grade and haven’t played for real in 3 years and now I don’t know what to do

@@sneakymilkman4203 bro you gotta go out now because if you dont as a freshman its 10x harder to as a sophomore through senior because you arent in the program

@@Laynemoyes I know and that’s why I’m screwed. I’m really good at track so I might just stick with it

That’s because the media claims that baseball is so easy that all you have to do to play the game at a high level is take steroids.

If you didn’t know baseball is the hardest sport to be good at in the world you’re not an athlete. Golf is a distant second. 99% of the population couldn’t even make contact with a high school pitcher let alone a MLB pitcher yet I know many who can shoot low 80’s at a championship golf course.

@@axe2grind772it would be hard to convince me that it’s harder than hockey. They are playing a contact sport while skating. That’s ridiculous

@@GoIndyGo18 Well I’ve played hockey for 25 years of my life and compared to most levels of baseball it’s a breeze. I scored on Rick DiPietro in a tourney in Chicago and he was the 1st overall pick in the NHL yet I couldn’t make contact with a high school pitcher on my best day.

​@@justusphillips2480 my cousin was 5'5 110 pounds then he took 5 steroids and was 6'5 250 meat bag crushing homeruns like nothing

Too soon? Lmao

this is exactly it!!!

considering he barely had any time, its probably better to keep his swing something that he's used to doing so he doesn't overcomplicate himself with mechanics

Great coaching

Probably one of the reasons he never hit the faster pitches.. His feet were dancing too much.. His eye level was moving up and down sporadically.. It was absolutely horrible at the beginning and after the great coaching he was just pretty crappy.. Sooo he improved but it was still garbage.

@@natef3986 he hadnt played since 7 years old so he wasnt “used” to any swing. i wish they would’ve tried to correct his dancing feet.

Jesus Saves Love God✝️

@@bsblleon01 bro cmon now you know you can’t hit a 95 mph fastball...

@@willlynch1271 hitting a 95 mph is not that hard after putting in the practice

@@Base950Y idk man pro players do it everyday of there lives yet they still can’t hit them every time

@@willlynch1271 yeah, cuz they’re moving, at different speeds, at different locations, and different timings. A machine is throwing a fastball every time and it’s almost 100% of the time within inches of the same exact spot

trading Luis was one of the DUMBEST things Tigers did -- not paying JD Martinez was another....... a child could do a better job than Tigers front office and Manager.

Why would you. Just move if it comes at you

@@Michael_Rodrique You have less than half a second to react to 95 mph, If it was that easy then MLB players would not get hit. Several careers have been ended by getting hit in the face and this is why you see most wear a face guard.

@@2cardarsenal310 if you look at the mlb though most are on breaking pitches. Plus coming out of a machine in a controlled setting it is easier to see. You just turn you face away. That’s what the helmets for. Still hurts but less than one to the face.

@@2cardarsenal310 I’ve have high 80s at my head and you do have time to react

@@Michael_Rodrique 88 is not the same as 95.. Trust me, you have to have insane reactions.

Loved Gonzo.

normally the person on the other side of the machine should give you some sort of way to time it up (with like a simulated arm drop going towards the hole of the machine) still super hard but if you can hit a pitcher throwing 95 you will be able to time up the machine after some time.

Amen to that.

^^^^^^^ THIS!!!!!! ^^^^^^^^

Kole Calhoun said in the beginning he thinks its easier to hit it off a pitcher than a machine

100% agree. i remember going into a batting cage a couple years ago and trying to hit it on the fastest speed and it was just impossible to get the timing down. i didnt even swing at half of the pitches because i wasn't ready for how fast it shoots out after it rolls down the little ramp. having a pitcher wind up and throw it at least gives you a chance.

If you it makes you feel any better, just remember that pitchers have this kind of technology now too. ;-)

It’s scary, I’ll tell you that, but what makes it worse is when the pitchers have a 80 MPH curveball to back it up 😂

The 95mph fastball never scared me, I could always pick my speed up, it was when they would keep the same arm angle, and drop a 82mph changeup on me. I looked like I was flailing at bugs up there.

I was hitting 85 in the cage at 12 its not that fast when you see it everyday all the time.

That son sounds like a great player 👀👀👀

@@SporkySZN yeah you’re pretty good my boy

except on 2 strikes - and then contact forces the defense to make a play.

Jesus Saves Love God✝️

@@cquick3277 no body asked

@@cquick3277 shutup loser

Jesus Saves Love God✝️

Who can smell when everyone is wearing masks?

@@reddoyle34 you've just caused a stock market crash. lol

Barry Bonds Also: "Just do this" ...pulls some steroids out of his bag...

@@teeemm9456 well, in this particular instance, Bonds was going up against a juiced up Gagne, so it sort of evens out...

@@mrmacross I was bout to say. When did Gagne ever hit 101? lol

Any baseball player that ever played knows this feeling. Unless they sucked 🤣.

@@cruzwexler5303 Ive been playing for 5 months now and hope this feeling is comin soon haha

Especially into a gap and out of the box you know it's an xbh

I wouldn’t call it satisfying but yes I agree

Best feeling ever for a ball player

wildly underrated comment haha

🗑🗑🗑... 😄😄

and he was getting paid by GQ the whole time!

He said a player normally comes to them for a month, not one day. That's going to be some big money, but if it's the difference between playing in AA or AAA or the majors...Money well spent.

its so stupid 😂😂 101, then 93 that disappears...

He's a figment of our imaginations...to this day still doesn't feel real

Or DeGrom’s 95 slider😬😳

Or my 25 mph meatball

@@williamdawhale701 nobody touches that

HAHAHAH SO TRUE THO

Didn't they beat the Reds 0-7 away

Lolllll

They got Madison Bumgarner didn't they?!

@@mW-yp9gn As a Reds fan let me tell you something. It's the Reds.

LOL Are you trying to kill the guy?! Cuz you'll definitely rearrange his face and maybe his balls too xD

To be fair, no grounder keeps above 100 unless a low fly, which is an insanely hard catch. Inpressive to do, but the ball bouncing even just once makes it lose some juice, but a 90mph ball coming at you is still hard to catch. Lol

Me

Perhaps you just woke up yesterday, but they didn't legislate the regulations. Stay uneducated.

This had to be said

To be fair that was probably the most stressful an of his life

When your coach pulls your pitcher who has given up 1 hit in 6 innings and the reliever he brings in get's bombed.

He should ask Jacob Alvarez for advice.

They don’t play in the street because a baseball is very hard*

Baseball is incredibly difficult, but if you have ever played golf you know that it is also very hard

Golf is extremely easy to play... it’s not easy to be good at

@@jamalcolorado4260 baseball is harder.. the ball is moving. It’s not moving in golf.

@@jc3productions362 I never said baseball wasn’t harder, it is definitely harder than golf, but golf is also incredibly difficult.

Any batting coach can tell you what you’re doing wrong, but if it’s wrong and you’re hitting the ball, don’t change it.

That’s exactly what I was thinking

Right I’m looking at his swing like “why is his right foot moving around like he’s square dancing”.. plus, his feet were almost together..no kind of balance or stability..

my 11 y/o kids do it all of the time lol

@@nickthequick2011 get them to stop

@@benmckaylol easier said than done lol. Most of them are just afraid of fast pitchers. That will pass with more repetition leading to comfort.

@@nickthequick2011 As a practice exercise: throw them hard pitches and tell them to stay in the box and not swing. Just follow the ball into the glove. By hard pitches I mean pitches 1 or two levels above their experience.

@@nixx7912 We did this towards the end of the season along with getting confortable in a personal routine. Wish I would have thought of it sooner but averages did go up.

Agreed! That was hard to watch over and over lol

Haha glad I'm not the only one.

@@AD-df5tm and the fact that I watched the whole video waiting for them to correct it and they never did lol. How can you ever expect a consistent swing without talking about it 😂

He's legit opening his body in the opposite direction he should be lol. I just stood up in my room and tried to copy his footwork and it felt icky.

@@mortzy2149 It certainly isn’t pretty lol

There's actually a study (I'd have to find it) and most successful hitters aren't wildly better at reaction or hand-eye than the mean (of course they're still professional athletes), but most have insane eyesight, like 20/15 or better being super common.

@@jebediahkrimsoncraftleding3012 Oh wow that's really interesting. I could see that being the reason too

Oh, yea. The hips are very important in numerous sports.

Yeah, he's defo semi-pro at this point. He literally got pro coaching for his batting.

Right?! Wtf was that?