Once upon a time in baseball, picking which pitchers had the best fastball was done solely based on how hard they threw. When the radar gun started being used in the 1970s, it was a quick and easy way to measure who had the best heater.
But as the game has evolved, so has the ability to evaluate the pitch. It’s kind of like when doctors in the 19th century were able to use the newly invented stethoscope to diagnose patients … though perhaps not as important. Nowadays, we have instruments to measure spin, carry, induced vertical break and can get information on things like miss and chase rates.
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Keep all of that in mind when reading about the best fastball-throwing prospect in each organization below, knowing that it’s not necessarily always going to be who lights up that old radar gun the most.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: Trey Yesavage, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 9)
Yesavage remains prospect-eligible while he rehabs a shoulder impingement, so we’re taking him here. After all, his four-seamer got whiffs against both Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge in last year’s postseason. Yesavage’s four-seamer typically sits 93-96 mph when healthy and gets elite ride from one of the highest release points in the sport. Living at the top rail helps the 22-year-old set up his plus-plus splitter and backward slider too, but the unique heater can be a dominant pitch on its own as we’ve already seen on baseball’s biggest stage.
Orioles: Esteban Mejia, RHP (No. 6)
There’s no question about Mejia’s raw, electric stuff. Landing it in the zone is another story. He has more than enough fastball, running the heater up to 102 mph with a lot of armside run that was way too much for hitters in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2024 and the Florida Complex League last year. He’s walked six per nine so far in his brief career, though at age 19 for all of this season, he has time to iron things out.
Rays: Brody Hopkins, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 75)
Hopkins moved to Triple-A Durham for the first time this spring, and he’s proven that his heater can absolutely play in the Minors’ top level. The right-hander has already touched triple digits twice while sitting more generally around 95-98 mph with his four-seamer. He combines that with decent extension and a low release angle to generate a flat approach angle that makes the heater tough to touch. Triple-A batters are whiffing on 37 percent of their swings against it so far. Hopkins has another pitch in the fastball family in his low-90s cutter, and he’s thrown the two roughly three-quarters of the time through four starts with the Bulls.
Red Sox: Payton Tolle, LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 15)
Tolle boosted his fastball from an average of 91 mph and a high of 96 at Texas Christian to parking at 96 and peaking at 101 during his first full pro season in 2025. Coupled with his elite 7 1/2-foot extension, his heater is almost unhittable. The 2024 second-rounder has a 3.00 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 15 Triple-A innings and may get the call to replace the injured Sonny Gray in Boston's rotation.
Yankees: Carlos Lagrange, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 69)
Lagrange gained some fame by striking out Aaron Judge on a 103-mph fastball during live batting practice in Spring Training, and he usually operates at 97-99 mph with carry and armside run. Signed for just $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, he ranked third in the Minors in strikeouts (168 in 120 innings) and strikeout rate (33 percent) last season and sports a 4.30 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings this year at Triple-A.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Guardians: Daniel Espino, RHP (No. 17)
The 24th overall pick in the 2019 Draft out of a Georgia high school, Espino might have had the best stuff in the Minors when he came down with a sore shoulder in 2022. That led to a pair of surgeries and more than three years between mound appearances. He returned for the final day of the Triple-A International League season and then headed to the Arizona Fall League last year, and his stuff is back. He's averaging 97 mph and touching 100 at Triple-A, where he has a 1.35 ERA with eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He's touched 103 in the past at the Minors' highest level.
Royals: Dennis Colleran Jr., RHP (No. 24)
The 2024 seventh-rounder gets going with a big leg kick, bringing his foot up to about shoulder-high, and that might help hide his fastball a bit. Of course, it also helps to sit in the upper 90s and touch 101 mph, as Colleran did last year during a breakout season in which he posted a 2.85 ERA and .161 average-against with 72 strikeouts in 66⅓ innings of relief across three levels. He’s back with Double-A Northwest Arkansas to begin ‘26 and will need to re-establish the command of the heater, having walked eight in seven appearances.
Tigers: Malachi Witherspoon, RHP (No. 11)
It’s more about power for the 2025 second-rounder in his first full season. The former Oklahoma right-hander -- and twin brother of Red Sox hurler Kyson -- has already touched 98.7 mph with his sinker this spring with Single-A Lakeland, and both that and his four-seamer sit in the 95-97 mph range. That sinker averages 14-15 inches of armside movement to boot, while the four-seamer lacks special movement but can be overwhelming given the velo. Witherspoon had serious control issues with OU but has walked only a pair in his first three outings of 2026.
Twins: Charlee Soto, RHP (No. 9)
It’s been a little while since the Twins have seen Soto’s fastball in games. He missed all but three starts in 2025 and he’s still working his way back from surgery to remove elbow spurs. Before he got hurt, his fastball was trending upward velocity-wise, coming in at 98-101 mph. He has a four-seamer that misses bats up in the zone and a two-seamer with armside run that can get ground-ball outs.
White Sox: Tanner McDougal, RHP (No. 6)
Overshadowed by Top 100 prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith among White Sox pitching prospects, McDougal has a better fastball that the two southpaws, sitting at 97-99 mph and touching 101. A 2021 fifth-rounder from a Nevada high school, he has compiled a 3.26 ERA with a .156 average-against and 22 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings, so his big league debut could be imminent.
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Angels: Tyler Bremner, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 71)
There might be pitchers in the Angels system who throw harder than Bremner -- namely guys like George Klassen and Chris Cortez -- but when you add in its ride up in the zone to go along with his command and usage of the pitch, Bremner gets the nod. In the early going of his pro career with High-A Tri City, his heater has elicited a 44 percent miss rate. Bremner averaged 95 mph and touched 98 with a 33 percent miss rate at Santa Barbara last year, and there could be more in the tank.
Astros: Miguel Ullola, RHP (No. 11)
The Astros excel at finding bargains on the international pitching market and signed Ullola for $75,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. His fastball usually operates at 92-94 mph and maxes out at 97, but it plays well above its velocity thanks to a flat approach angle and exceptional carry. In his first four years in full-season ball (2022-25), Ullola compiled the lowest average-against (.189) and highest strikeout (30 percent) and walk (15 percent) rates among pitchers with at least 400 innings. He has logged a 3.31 ERA, .186 average-against and 24 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings at Triple-A this season.
A’s: Gage Jump, LHP (No. 3/MLB No. 49)
The A’s have a pair of lefties in the Top 100 who have 60-grade fastballs in Jump and Jamie Arnold, and we’ll give Jump the edge because he has a pro resume to draw from. Not only did Jump’s heater take a nice jump velocity-wise last year, his first year of pro ball, but it’s always played up. It now sits around 95 mph and he’s touched the upper 90s, flirting with triple digits. That’s because his lower arm slot creates deception. The pitch has missed bats at a 28 percent rate and opposing hitters have managed just a .208 average against the pitch, per Synergy.
Mariners: Ryan Sloan, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 28)
Just 20 for all of 2026 and already at Double-A, Sloan has impressed with his stuff and feel for pitching since his high school days en route to becoming a 2024 second-round pick who got an over-slot signing bonus of $3 million. In his time in the M’s system, he’s shown he can reach the upper 90s with his heater and can sit 95-96 mph deep into outings. It’s more impressive because he can vary its shape, riding it up in the zone, cutting it in on lefties or even sinking it down the zone for ground-ball outs.
Rangers: A.J. Russell, RHP (No. 3)
Though Russell had internal brace surgery in 2024 and was inconsistent as a Tennessee junior last spring, his fastball prompted the Rangers to pay him an over-slot $2.6 million as a second-round choice. His heater ranges from 93-98 mph with a nasty combination of an exceptionally low release point, a wide angle, significant armside run and carry. Making his pro debut this April, Russell has fanned eight of the 20 hitters he has faced at Single-A.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Braves: Raudy Reyes, RHP (No. 29)
The Braves gave Reyes $1.8 million to sign in January 2025, the second-largest bonus given to a pitcher in that signing period behind only Roki Sasaki. He’s still very much a thrower over a pitcher, but one with a ton of arm strength. He can reach triple digits with ease, topping out at 102 mph in the past. Everything else, from secondary offerings to his ability to throw strikes, is definitely a work in progress, but he doesn’t turn 18 until late August.
Marlins: Kevin Defrank, RHP (No. 5/MLB No. 100)
The newest Top 100 prospect is the youngest pitcher on the list at age 17 -- and he already reaches triple digits with a fastball that averages 97 mph. Signed for $560,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2025, he broke into pro ball by recording a 3.19 ERA with 34 strikeouts over 31 innings in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League.
Mets: Ryan Lambert, RHP (No. 17)
Mets fans got a taste of what Lambert can do this spring when he struck out eight of the 17 batters he faced in the Grapefruit League (and learned about his history with eggs along the way too). The righty reliever has continued to flash that big-time fastball with Triple-A Syracuse in the regular season, averaging 96.5 mph, 20 inches of ride and only 3.1 inches of armside run on the pitch. Opponents are hitting just .143 against it, so it shouldn’t be a shock that Lambert has thrown the four-seamer 68.1 percent of the time in the International League.
Nationals: Jarlin Susana, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 70)
Susana hasn’t pitched in an official game since Aug. 30, 2025, due to lat surgery, so it’s been a while since we’ve seen his fastball in action. But when he was healthy, it was one of the most electric -- perhaps the most electric -- heaters in the Minor Leagues. The 22-year-old right-hander regularly sat 98-101 mph with relative ease and could crank up the velo as high as 103. Reestablishing that will be key when he returns in his age-22 season, but he also has a plus-plus slider as balance in his repertoire.
Phillies: Gage Wood, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 95)
Wood, the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2025, is supremely confident in his fastball, and for good reason. It sits around 96 mph and touches 98, but it plays up thanks to carry, low release height and flat approach angle. It got a 45 percent miss rate at Arkansas last year, a rate that’s up to 51 percent over his first three Single-A starts this season. It’s so good, he’s still in the mid-30s percentage-wise when he throws it in the zone.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Brewers: Bishop Letson, RHP (No. 8)
This is as much about projection as anything. Letson opened a few eyes by exceeding 97 mph in front of Statcast in both a Feb. 22 outing and the Spring Breakout game on March 20 this spring, though he typically settles in a few clicks below that. Some early adrenaline may have led to that max velo, but even so, Letson can already make batters uncomfortable with his 7½ feet of extension, putting him in Jacob Misiorowski territory for his ability to get down the bump. The 21-year-old righty is focused on adding innings at Double-A after a right shoulder impingement limited him last year.
Cardinals: Liam Doyle, LHP (No. 2/MLB No. 29)
Doyle’s 70-grade heater helped pushed him to the fifth overall pick in last year’s Draft after only one season at Tennessee. At its best, it’s a 95-97 mph offering (touching triple digits) that plays up beyond even that velo thanks to a low release height and flat approach angle. The southpaw needs to push that four-seamer to the top of the zone, but when he does, it picks up oodles of whiffs. The Cardinals want to help find Doyle more quality secondaries, knowing there could be some bumps early on, as there have been at Double-A, but the special fastball should play everywhere.
Cubs: Jaxon Wiggins, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 50)
Wiggins missed his entire 2023 Draft year at Arkansas following Tommy John surgery but still went in the supplemental second round and since has developed into Chicago's best pitching prospect. Working with a fastball that sat at 96-98 mph and topped out at 101, he posted a 2.19 ERA with a .161 average-against and a 31 percent strikeout rate while advancing from High-A to Triple-A last year. He's currently on Triple-A Iowa's injured list with elbow inflammation, but the Cubs believe he'll be fine after a brief period of rest.
Pirates: Seth Hernandez, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 24)
If you watched the Pirates’ Spring Breakout game against the Tigers, you saw Max Clark’s reaction to Hernandez starting the contest with 102.4 mph gas. Sure, he was amped up, but since the season in the Florida State League started, he’s been sitting 98 mph and has been over 100 multiple times, and in the zone. It’s a very small sample size, but throwing upper 90s in the zone (70 percent strikes) and missing a ton of bats with it (50 percent miss rate) is going to work wherever he is.
Reds: Zach Maxwell, RHP (No. 17)
“Big Sugar” got to the big leagues in 2025 because of his power stuff, but he hasn’t been able to stick there yet because of his inability to command it. Last year, he sat at 99 mph and topped out at 102 with his fastball at Triple-A and during his big league debut. While his slider is his true out pitch, he did a better job of missing bats up in the zone last year, getting a 30 percent miss rate with it.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
D-backs: Wellington Aracena, RHP (No. 24)
Aracena has been with three organizations in the past year -- the Mets, the Orioles and now the D-backs as part of the Blaze Alexander trade -- and it’s because everyone wants a crack at his power stuff. The 21-year-old righty touched 101 mph with his four-seamer last year and generally sat 96-99, and there’s some cut to that four-seam shape that can make it a little more interesting. Aracena also has a true cutter in the low 90s to give batters another hard option worth considering. He might have a future in the bullpen, but his first two High-A Hillsboro appearances have been starts.
Dodgers: Kyle Hurt, RHP (No. 23)
Acquired from the Marlins along with Alex Vesia in exchange for Dylan Floro in a 2020 trade, Hurt has recovered from Tommy John surgery in 2024 to regain a 95-97 mph fastball that reaches 99 with a low release height and plenty of carry. Currently in Los Angeles' bullpen, he sports a 1.69 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings in parts of three big league seasons.
Giants: Gerelmi Maldonado, RHP (No. 29)
Maldonado hit 92 mph with his fastball as a 17-year-old before signing for $145,000 out of Venezuela in 2021, touched 97 mph during his U.S. debut the next year and reached 99 when he advanced to full-season ball in 2023. He blew out his elbow that July and missed all of 2024 following Tommy John surgery, but he's back dealing at 96-99 mph and grabbing some 101s with high spin rates, late hop and some armside run. He has a 4.50 ERA and has struck out 10 of the 20 hitters he has faced at High-A.
Padres: Bradgley Rodriguez, RHP (No. 6)
Rodriguez retains prospect status for only a few more days, but he still counts here. The 22-year-old reliever has used the fastball triforce out of the San Diego bullpen with a four-seamer and sinker both in the upper 90s and a cutter in the upper 80s. The sinker has been most effective of that bunch, drawing lots of weak contact, but what the three fastballs do best is set up Rodriguez’s elite 88-91 mph changeup that he buries at the bottom of the zone.
Rockies: Brody Brecht, RHP (No. 8)
It remains to be seen if Brecht can start long term, though he’s shown enough glimpses of harnessing his power stuff to give him a chance. His fastball can straighten out at times, leading to it getting hit at times. But it sits around 96 mph and he’s reached 100 in the past, and he did elicit a 28 percent miss rate with the pitch at Single-A Fresno in 2025.