In the Korean Baseball Organization this season, Hanwha Eagles rookie Moon Dong-ju became the first pitcher in KBO history to hit 160 kilometers per hour. Prior to that, Kiwoom Heroes starter Ahn Woo-jin’s 154 kilometers was the fastest. In the Korean Baseball Organization, the average speed of a pitcher in the KBO is 142.6 kilometers per hour, and anything over 150 kilometers is considered a fastball.
The fastest fastball ever hit in Major League Baseball was 105.8 mph (170.3 km/h). It was hit in 2010 by Aroldis Chapman, then a closer for the Cincinnati Reds. Last year, Ben Joyce of the University of Tennessee threw 105.5 mph (169.8 km/h), the fastest fastball ever thrown by a major league pitcher. There are more than 20 players in history who have thrown more than 104 mph (167.4 km/h).스포츠토토
The difference in velocity between Major League Baseball and Korean professional baseball averages more than 10 kilometers. Closing pitchers for the top teams in Major League Baseball average around 160 mph. Even at the World Baseball Classic (WBO) this spring, the South Korean national team had no choice but to be blown away by Japanese pitchers’ fastballs (around 160km). It was a far cry from the ball speeds they were used to in Korea, making it difficult to even center the bat, let alone hit the ball.
Moon Dong-ju sparked a fireworks showdown with his fastball. Pitchers in the 150km range are also emerging among high school prospects. It’s hard to overpower hitters in the 140s. Samsung’s 40-year-old closer Oh Seung-hwan (41) is a testament to this.