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Ben Joyce (baseball)

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Ben Joyce
Los Angeles Angels – No. 44
Pitcher
Born: (2000-09-17) September 17, 2000 (age 24)
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 29, 2023, for the Los Angeles Angels
MLB statistics
(through 2024)
Win–loss record3–1
Earned run average2.82
Strikeouts43
Teams

Benjamin Alan Joyce (born September 17, 2000) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball at the University of Tennessee, where he gained acclaim for throwing the fastest pitch in college baseball history at 105.5 miles per hour (169.8 km/h). Joyce was selected by the Angels in the third round of the 2022 MLB draft, and made his MLB debut in 2023.

Amateur career

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Joyce grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attended Farragut High School.[1] He entered high school at 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) and weighed 100 lb (45 kg) and did not make the varsity baseball team until his junior year, by which time he had grown to 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) tall.[2]

Joyce enrolled at Walters State Community College along with his twin brother Zach, and missed his freshman season due to a stress fracture in his elbow.[3] By the end of the year, he had grown to 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) tall.[4] As a sophomore, Joyce went 3–1 with a 4.79 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 20+2⁄3 innings pitched.[5] Joyce and his brother committed to transfer to Tennessee to continue their college careers.[6] Joyce tore the ulnar collateral ligament during a fall practice and had Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss his first season at Tennessee.[2] In his first healthy season at Tennessee as a redshirt junior, Joyce gained national attention for regularly throwing his fastball over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), reaching as high as 104 miles per hour (167 km/h).[7][8] On May 1, 2022, he threw the fastest recorded pitch in the history of college baseball with a 105.5 miles per hour (169.8 km/h) fastball.[9][10] Joyce finished the season with a 2.23 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 32+1⁄3 innings pitched over 27 appearances.[11]

Professional career

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The Los Angeles Angels selected Joyce in the third round in the 2022 MLB draft.[12] He signed with the Angels on July 22, 2022, and received a $1 million signing bonus.[13] Joyce was assigned to the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas to start his professional career.[14] In Joyce's first professional game, he gave up four hits and two earned runs with a strikeout in one inning of relief pitching.[15] He finished his first professional season at 1–0 with a 2.08 ERA, 20 strikeouts, and a save in 13 appearances.[16]

In 2023, the Angels invited Joyce to spring training as a non-roster invitee.[17] In 14 appearances, he registered a 4.60 ERA with 24 strikeouts and four saves in 15+2⁄3 innings pitched. On May 28, 2023, Joyce was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[18] He made his major league debut the following day against the Chicago White Sox, pitching a scoreless inning in relief with two strikeouts.[19] After 5 appearances, he was placed on the injured list with ulnar neuritis on June 10.[20] He was transferred to the 60–day injured list on July 27.[21] Joyce was activated from the injured list on September 10.[22] In 12 relief outings during his rookie campaign, he posted a 5.40 ERA with 10 strikeouts across 10 innings.

Joyce was optioned to Double–A Rocket City to begin the 2024 season.[23] On June 2, 2024, Joyce was recalled by the Angels.[24] On August 3, during a game against the New York Mets, Joyce struck out J. D. Martinez on a 104.7-mile-per-hour (168.5 km/h) fastball to get his first-ever save. It was the fastest strike-out pitch to be thrown in MLB since at least 2008,[25] and the sixth-fastest pitch thrown since 2009.[26] On September 3, Joyce struck out Los Angeles Dodgers' Tommy Edman on a 105.5-mile-per-hour (169.8 km/h) fastball.[27] Joyce was placed on the 15-day injured list on September 10, 2024, with the Angels announcing he would be shut down for the rest of the 2024 season. He finished the year with a 2-0 record and four saves with a 2.08 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 34+2⁄3 innings pitched.[28]

Personal life

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Joyce's twin brother, Zach, played with Ben at Tennessee and was also selected by the Angels, going in the 14th round of the 2023 MLB draft.[29]

References

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  1. ^ Venkataraman, Karthik (February 23, 2022). "Knoxville native, Farragut graduate Ben Joyce pitches a 103 mph fastball in Vols win". WBIR.com. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Torres, Maria (March 11, 2022). "Tennessee's Ben Joyce — he of the 103.5 mph heater — is focused on his secondaries as his MLB Draft stock rises". The Athletic. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  3. ^ McDaniel, Kiley (February 13, 2020). "University of Georgia, junior college pitchers show potential as top prospects". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  4. ^ Nichols, Jake (March 25, 2022). "Baseball, Brotherhood and a Bond Never Broken: Meet Ben and Zach Joyce". SI.com. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  5. ^ McKee, Ben (February 25, 2022). "Abnormal Ben Joyce dazzling in return from Tommy John". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  6. ^ Lay, Ken (September 25, 2019). "Ben and Zach Joyce commit to Diamond Vols". Vols Wire. USA Today. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  7. ^ Adler, David (March 21, 2022). "College RHP blows away hitter with 104 mph heat". MLB.com. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Wilson, Mike (February 23, 2022). "'It is abnormal:' Tennessee baseball's Ben Joyce throws 103 mph pitch vs UNC Asheville". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  9. ^ Schwartz, Jared (May 1, 2022). "Tennessee's Ben Joyce throws fastest pitch in college baseball history". New York Post. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  10. ^ "Ben Joyce throws fasted pitch in college baseball history". Buffalo News. May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  11. ^ Castrovince, Anthony (July 18, 2022). "He throws 105 mph … and the Angels just drafted him". MLB.com. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  12. ^ "Los Angeles Angels pick Tennessee baseball's Ben Joyce in 2022 MLB Draft". Knoxville News Sentinel. July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  13. ^ Valenzuela, Sarah (July 23, 2022). "Angels pick Ben Joyce hardest college thrower ever: 105.5 mph". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  14. ^ Ramey, Grant (August 7, 2022). "Ben Joyce is already throwing 100mph fastballs in Double-A". 247Sports.com. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  15. ^ "Ben Joyce 2022 College & Minor Leagues Game Logs & Splits". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  16. ^ "Ben Joyce College & Minor Leagues Statistics". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  17. ^ "Angels' Ben Joyce: Receives invite to camp". CBSSports.com. Paramount Global. RotoWire. February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  18. ^ "Angels' Ben Joyce: Contract selected from Double-A". cbssports.com. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  19. ^ Stebbins, Tim (May 29, 2023). "Joyce flashes 102 mph heat in stellar debut". MLB.com.
  20. ^ "Angels' Ben Joyce: Placed on IL with ulnar neuritis". cbssports.com. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  21. ^ "Angels' Ben Joyce: Moved to 60-day IL". cbssports.com. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  22. ^ "Angels' Ben Joyce: Optioned to Double-A". CBSSports.com. March 22, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  23. ^ "Angels' Ben Joyce: Optioned to Double-A". cbssports.com. March 22, 2024.
  24. ^ https://x.com/LAAngelsPR/status/1797315759393378355
  25. ^ "Angels' Joyce hits 104.7 mph for game-ending K". ESPN. August 4, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  26. ^ Reedy, Joe (August 4, 2024). "104.7 mph: Angels' Joyce gets 1st save, strikes out Martinez on fastest pitch in majors this season". AP News. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  27. ^ "105.5 mph!! Joyce records fastest strikeout ever tracked". MLB. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  28. ^ Bollinger, Rhett (September 16, 2024). "José Soriano, Ben Joyce shut down but bullish for 2025". MLB.com. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  29. ^ "Angels' twin picks: Zach Joyce drafted by Halos, his brother Ben's team". ESPN.com. Associated Press. July 11, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2024 – via Reuters.
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