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RE: Are MLB pitchers becoming bionic? 105mph Fastball....sick!!!
Check out the documentary on Netflix titled: Fastball. There's a big difference at where the fastball is clocked now opposed to where they clocked them in times past. They used to be clocked a few feet from home plate, whereas, now they're clocked coming out of the pitchers hand. This is how Aroldis Chapman's pictch was recorded in 2010 clocking in at 105.1 mph. However, that same pitch clocked a few feet in front of home plate clocked in the upper 90's. Still lightning fast no doubt, but there's a little more to the "fastest fastballs" being registered now and their comparison to the fastest of our past.
This sounds familiar like I may have seen it as well. I also remember them comparing the big arms in the old days to modern throwers to try and determine who really threw the fastest ball in MLB history. If I remember right they came to the conclusion that even though the placement of the radar gun is different that Aroldis Chapman still had the fastest pitch ever and that modern pitchers are consistently hitting higher numbers.
Watch it again... conclusion was quite different. This is from an article in Sports Illustrated concerning said conclusion: "The Cuban Missile, Aroldis Chapman, may have thrown a 105.1 mph fastball in 2010 to set a Major League record, but when you correct for radar gun placement, Nolan Ryan's legendary 1974 heater clocked at 100.9 was really the top speed ever, at a blazing 108.5 miles per hour."
Oh wow thanks for the clarification. It's crazy to think that its even humanly possible to throw 108.5 mph. Do you think there was a chance that they were using performance enhancing drugs at all?