Ben Joyce

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Benjamin Alan Joyce

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Biographical Information[edit]

Pitcher Ben Joyce made the news during the 2022 college baseball season when he was timed throwing a pitch at 104 mph - the highest reading ever for a college pitcher, and higher than any pitch thrown in the major leagues that season. He then topped this, with a top reading at 105.5 mph. At the time he first gained notice, he had a virgin ERA as a reliever for the University of Tennessee and there was a lot of speculation about how he would be a top draft pick in the upcoming amateur draft. This led to one of the most outlandish articles published on a serious platform in recent years, when Zach Crizer of Yahoo! Sports speculated that Joyce could potentially pitch in both the College World Series and the World Series in the same season. Of course, Joyce did neither, since Tennessee did not qualify for the 2022 College World Series and when he was drafted, it was in the 3rd round by the Los Angeles Angels, who were not only not headed to the 2022 World Series, but planned to have him develop properly in the minors. One should remember that 2022 was Joyce's first college season after time at a junior college, that he had a history of injuries and that, in spite of his overpowering fastball, he was still considered quite raw due to his lack of high-level pitching experience.

After being drafted, he was assigned to the Rocket City Trash Pandas of the Southern League, where he pitched 13 times, logging 13 innings, and went 1-0, 2.08 with 1 save and a 20/4 K/W ratio - all of which was excellent. He went to spring training as a non-roster invitee in 2023 and was once again a major story, as reporters were impressed by his velocity. Again, the Angels tried to calm things down by stating there was little or no chance Joyce would break camp with the team, as he needed to work on his secondary pitches. He showed why he was not quite ready for prime time in his first outing of the season for Rocket City on April 8th. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Chattanooga Lookouts, he replaced Coleman Crow in the top of the 7th with the chance to close out a seven-inning no-hitter, as Crow had only given up a pair of walks in six innings. He managed to get the first two outs while walking the bases loaded, but then forced in a first run with another walk. He got Jacob Hurtubise to hit a routine fly ball to center field, but CF Jeremiah Jackson missed it completely, allowing the bases to clear. He was then replaced by Eric Torres, who also struggled badly with his control, with five hit batsmen, a walk and a wild pitch before finally recording the final out via strikeout. The Trash Pandas lost the game, 7-5, in spite of the combined no-hitter.

Joyce was called up to the Angels at the end of May, 2023 and made his debut against the Chicago White Sox on May 29th. He was 0-1, 4.60 with 4 saves in 14 games with Rocket City at the time. Entering in the bottom of the 7th inning while trying to protect a one-run lead, he gave up a single to Andrew Vaughn on an 0-2 pitch. He then struck out Gavin Sheets and Romy Gonzalez on four pitches each. Joyce then induced Yasmani Grandal to pop out on the first pitch to finish the scoreless inning. He topped out at 102 mph that day. Overall, he pitched 12 games for the Angels, going 1-1 with 1 5.40 ERA in 10 innings; he struck out 10 but also walked 9. His major league stint was interrupted after 5 appearances on June 10th, when he was placed on the injured list with ulnar neuritis. He then made a rehabilitation assignment with the Class A Inland Empire 66ers in early September before coming back to pitch another 7 times in the bigs.

His twin brother Zach Joyce is also a pitcher, but his college career was beset by injuries. Still, the Angels also drafted him, in the 14th round of the 2023 Amateur Draft, less than two months after Ben's debut.

Further Reading[edit]

  • David Adler: "College RHP blows away hitter with 104 mph heat: Volunteers' Joyce has 0.00 ERA in 9 games, and it's easy to see why", mlb.com, March 21, 2022. [1]
  • Rhett Bollinger: "Can Joyce top 105.5 mph? 'I don't see why not'", mlb.com, February 23, 2023. [2]
  • Rhett Bollinger: "Joyce, 104 mph heat leaving a mark: Halos' No. 11 prospect tossing zeros, turning heads at Spring Training", mlb.com, March 19, 2023. [3]
  • Rhett Bollinger: "Angels put Joyce through 'chaos' to maintain composure", mlb.com, March 7, 2024. [4]
  • Anthony Castrovince: "He throws 105 mph … and the Angels just drafted him", mlb.com, July 18, 2022. [5]
  • Zach Crizer: "College World Series to World Series in one year? Why a Tennessee pitcher with a 104 mph fastball has a chance", Yahoo! Sports, June 10, 2022. [6]
  • Jacob Resnick: "A no-no like no other: Score 7 runs without a hit -- and win!", mlb.com, April 8, 2023. [7]
  • Tim Stebbins: "Joyce flashes 102 mph heat in stellar debut: Angels' No. 9 prospect strikes out two in a scoreless inning of relief", mlb.com, May 30, 2023. [8]

Related Sites[edit]

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