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Watch: MLB pitcher Hicks' record 105 mph fastballs are stunning teammates

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The old saying is that you see something new at the ballpark every day, and that certainly applies to what happened in St. Louis on Sunday.

Cardinals rookie reliever Jordan Hicks lit up the radar guns in a way that has never been seen before.

The 21-year-old topped out at 105 mph twice, thus becoming the first player to reach that speed on multiple pitches in a single game.

There was a stretch where Hicks threw five straight pitches at either 104 mph or 105 mph, which means he has the five fastest pitches of the MLB season.

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Nearly as amazing as the velocity Hicks reached were the reactions of his teammates. They’ve seen Hicks throw since spring training but were still in as much awe as everyone else in the ballpark.

Carlos Martinez (No. 18) is a two-time All-Star who is currently leading the NL in ERA, but he looked on in amazement and put his hands to his head in disbelief.

Hicks and the Yankees’ Aroldis Chapman appear to be the (old) Federer and (old) Nadal of pitch velocity. Those two are really the only ones in the competition for the fastest pitch of the season.

Have you ever seen anyone throw faster than 105 mph?

According to Statcast, the 31 fastest pitches of the 2018 season have been thrown by either Hicks or Chapman. Forty-nine of the 50 fastest pitches have been thrown by those two, with only the Marlins’ Tayron Guerrero also cracking the list.

While Hicks is the leader in the clubhouse for the fastest pitch, he hasn’t been as effective on the mound as the Yankees’ closer.

Chapman has a 1.42 ERA and strikes out 17.1 batters per nine innings. Hicks hasn’t been able to translate his velocity into strikes as his K/9 sits at 3.7 despite a solid ERA of 2.05.

Besides a high velocity, something else Chapman has in common with Hicks is the ability to wow fellow major leaguers.

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Chapman’s coming out party was at the 2015 All-Star Game, when he had fellow All-Stars shaking their heads while watching him pitch from the dugout.

As commentator Harold Reynolds said, “Until you see it in person, it’s hard to fathom. Big league hitters and pitchers can’t believe what they’re seeing. I’m sorry.”

Unfortunately, the Yankees and Cardinals don’t meet up in the regular season this year, so the only time we could see the game’s premiere flamethrowers in the same game would be in the World Series.

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Ross Kelly has been a sportswriter since 2009.
Ross Kelly has been a sportswriter since 2009 and previously worked for ESPN, CBS and STATS Inc. A native of Louisiana, Ross now resides in Houston.
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