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The most extreme Statcast throws of 2016
- Updated: December 27, 2016
Earlier this offseason, we used Statcast™ to track 2016’s “most extreme home runs,” finding the dingers that went the furthest, or the hardest, or the slowest or the softest. It was tremendous fun. You should read it again. But why stop there? Because the technology measures just about everything that takes place on the field, let’s go a step further, and find some of 2016’s best and most interesting Statcast™ throws — in ways you might not expect.
LONGEST THROW ON ASSIST: YASIEL PUIG, 310 FEET, APRIL 22
Puig’s April throw was actually the fourth-longest throw of the season. But let’s be honest with ourselves and admit that while it was extremely cool that Kevin Kiermaier unleashed one 323 feet from the warning track to first base in September in an unsuccessful attempt to double up a runner, for these entertainment purposes we’re going with the throw that got an out.
Besides, this isn’t just “Puig makes a great throw.” This is Puig being maximum Puig, because if you were to find the ideal Puig play, this might be it: He misplays a potentially catchable ball, and then turns it into something great due to his overwhelming physical talent.
But in addition to the 93.5 mph he got on this, and the 310 feet it traveled, realize how impressive the accuracy was. Puig needed a perfect throw to get Trevor Story. He didn’t just get it there on target, he got it there on a line. That is, see the white blur that’s moving at light speed in the image below? That’s the ball, about to hit Justin Turner’s glove inches off the ground in front of the bag.
“As far as degree of difficulty, it might be one of the best plays I’ve ever seen,” manager Dave Roberts said following the game. Dodgers pitcher Brandon McCarthy compared Puig to the legendary Roberto Clemente, which is exceptionally high praise. “You’re never going to see anything like this again,” exclaimed Los Angeles broadcaster Charlie Steiner. He might be right.
FASTEST THROW (OVERALL): Aaron Hicks, 105.5 MPH, APRIL 20
Statcast: Hicks’ 105.5-mph throw OAK@NYY: Hicks unleashes 105.5-mph throw home for outStatcast tracks Aaron Hicks’ 105.5-mph throw to retire Danny Valencia at the plate for an impressive double play
The fastest pitch we have on record was from Aroldis Chapman, as you’d expect, and it was tracked at 105.1 mph on July 19 against Baltimore. But even Chapman can’t hold every throw-velocity record, can he? This one belongs to Hicks, and the laser he threw from left to nail Danny Valencia in April. It’s fair to wonder if anybody’s ever going to top this one.
It’s not a fair fight, of course. Yonder Alonso’s lazy fly to left field gave Hicks plenty of time to position himself just behind the ball’s projected landing spot, and get a running start to the plate, putting his full momentum behind the throw in a way that pitchers simply can’t. While this does open the door to some fascinating questions — what could Chapman hit with a running start? 108? 110? — the pure velocity isn’t the only thing that makes this interesting. It’s that despite being 247 feet away from home, more than four times the distance between the mound and the plate, Hicks’ throw was accurate enough to get the runner.
That’s important, because every time we show a throw that was 100 mph or more, like Jackie Bradley Jr. in the …
