Pitchers are throwing faster than ever in the current Major League Baseball postseason, breaking records for fastball velocity while also reshaping the roles of starters and relievers. The average four-seam fastball velocity during this year’s playoffs has reached 96.3 miles per hour, the highest mark recorded since detailed pitch tracking began. This figure is nearly 3 mph higher than the average from a decade ago, when fastball speeds in postseason games hovered around 93.4 mph.

A notable development this year is that starting pitchers are now throwing harder than relief pitchers, a reversal from previous trends in the Statcast era beginning in 2015. Starters average 96.4 mph on their four-seam fastballs, slightly surpassing the 96.2 mph average of relievers. This uptick in velocity among starters corresponds with improved performance metrics, including a 3.12 earned run average (ERA) and a 26 percent strikeout rate, compared to a 3.56 ERA and 23 percent strikeout rate for relievers.

The increase in fastball velocity reflects teams’ strategic emphasis on power pitching in high-stakes postseason games. “Velocity is at such a premium,” said Andrew Bailey, pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox, noting the sustained rise in fastball speed across player roles over multiple seasons. Historically, bullpen pitchers have dominated late innings by ramping up velocity compared to starters, exemplified by relievers such as Aroldis Chapman, whose high-velocity pitching has commanded significant trade value.

This season, however, several starters have demonstrated the ability to throw nearly as hard—or even harder—than their bullpen counterparts. Brewers’ likely Game 1 starter Jacob Misiorowski has thrown multiple pitches exceeding 100 mph, while Guardians’ Gavin Williams, Yankees’ Cam Schlittler, Braves’ Chris Sale, and Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal have also reached triple-digit speeds. Rays pitchers Freddy Peralta and Drew Rasmussen have consistently operated in the upper 90s. Many pitchers have increased their velocity over their regular-season averages, a pattern attributed in part to playoff adrenaline and the willingness to expend maximum effort in shorter outings.

Bailey explained that the heightened intensity of postseason play encourages pitchers to “let it fly for as long as they can” before leaving the game. Despite this being true for both starters and relievers, the trend toward higher velocity among starters is also influenced by evolving team strategies. The traditional model of a starter pitching deep into games has shifted to one emphasizing short, high-effort stints before handing the ball to a bullpen stocked with hard throwers.

In addition, the expansion of deep bullpens has raised the bar for starter performance, with teams increasingly favoring pitchers who can throw hard for four to five innings. This has diminished the role of lower-tier starters, as managers now often prefer to use an “opener”—a hard-throwing reliever to start the game—rather than rely on a conventional No. 4 or even No. 3 starter whose velocity or effectiveness might decline through an extended outing.

The narrowing velocity gap between starters and relievers began around 2019, coinciding with the rise of the opener strategy. Changes in pitching development have also contributed, with teams now encouraging starters to capitalize on elite fastball velocity and utilize variations such as four-seamers, sinkers, and cutters to disrupt hitters’ timing. Pitchers like Schlittler, Payton Tolle, Rasmussen, and Misiorowski—each deploying a high percentage of fastballs—have secured prized Game 1 starts this postseason, reflecting a broader trend that power pitching keeps starters in rotation roles.

Through this lens, the postseason has become a showcase of dominant velocity, with over 337 pitches recorded at or above 100 mph—a record total that is likely to rise as the World Series progresses. As teams like the Brewers and Rays vie for the championship, the ability to generate and respond to elite fastball speeds may prove decisive in the outcome.