Hardest Throwing Pitcher in Baseball Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

A terrible break for a young flame-thrower, as the Los Angeles Angels have announced that reliever Ben Joyce has undergone shoulder surgery, which has ended his 2025 season.

Ben Joyce has undergone season-ending shoulder surgery pic.twitter.com/T2qcPEvlqs
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 14, 2025

Joyce is known for consistently pushing the radar gun to the limit, and last September, struck out Tommy Edman with the fastest pitch ever thrown for a strikeout in major league history at 105.5 miles per hour.

BEN JOYCE JUST THREW THE FASTEST RECORDED STRIKEOUT PITCH IN HISTORY (105.5 MPH) 😱
pic.twitter.com/hIN2Mh9Y3N
— Rocky Top Now (@rockytopnow) September 4, 2024

Joyce can be seen quickly turning to the scoreboard after he fired that rocket, out of curiosity. He lets out a satisfied smile, seeing that 105.5 number.

“I looked up right after and saw it,” Joyce said. “It was just a big-time game and all the fans were into it. So I feel like that helped a little bit. It was two strikes, so I kind of just tried to give everything I had.”

Joyce took over the Angels' closer role as a rookie near the end of the 2024 season. He was also recorded throwing two pitches 104.8 mph last season, and his four-seamer averaged 102.1 mph.

The Angels signed legendary closer Kenley Jansen this year, presumably to ease the pressure on Joyce and act as a mentor for him, but the youngster's season has been marred by right shoulder inflammation, and he'd been out since April 9.

The problem also plagued him a bit last season, as he hit the injured list with the same issue in September.

Joyce was averaging over 101 mph with his fastball this season, but had only been able to throw in 4 1/3 innings.

He'll now have to shut it down until 2026.