Best Fastball

Great article at NBC Sports today, which shows the highest fastball velocities for starting pitchers in the MLB this year.

Two key things to take from that sentence:

1. These are starting pitchers. Obviously relievers will have higher numbers, because they only come in for a short amount of time and can put everything into every throw.
2. These are from this year. As the article indicates, Tim Lincecum isn't even in the Top 20 this year because his velocity has been 92.2 mph - last year he was at 94.1 (good for second in the NL). Here's the list:

1. Justin Verlander - 95.3 mph
2. Ubaldo Jimenez - 95.0
2. Felipe Paulino - 95.0
4. Josh Johnson - 94.8
5. A.J. Burnett - 94.4
5. Edwin Jackson - 94.4
6. Josh Beckett - 94.1
7. Max Scherzer - 93.9
8. CC Sabathia - 93.8
9. Edinson Volquez - 93.6
10. Felix Hernandez - 93.5
11. Clayton Kershaw - 93.4
12. Zack Greinke - 93.3
12. Roy Oswalt - 93.3
12. Josh Outman - 93.3
12. Jordan Zimmermann - 93.3
16. Jeremy Guthrie - 93.1
17. Jorge De La Rosa - 92.9
18. Chris Carpenter - 92.8
18. Brad Penny - 92.8
20. Fausto Carmona - 92.6
20. Roy Halladay - 92.6

And the bottom 10?

Tim Wakefield - 71.7
Jamie Moyer - 80.5
Graham Taylor - 83.5
Livan Hernandez - 84.6
Doug Davis - 85.1
Josh Geer - 85.7
Sean Marshall - 85.7
Mark Buehrle - 85.8
Chris Young - 86.0
Jeff Suppan - 86.5

The old knuckleballer Wakefield still gets it done though! Look at his line against the Jays last night:

8.0 IP -- 1 ER -- 3 K -- 2 BB -- W

He now improves to 5-2 on the season (and his 5 wins lead the Red Sox pitching staff).